Shushan Earthly Immortal

Chapter 329 The Guardian Marshal, the Lion Becomes His Disciple

This lion kept saying that it would see and play everywhere after returning to its clan, but when it actually arrived, it became timid.

However, Cheng Xinzhan knew that the lion was very proud, so he did not urge it. After pointing out the direction back to Meiji Mountain, he let the lion walk slowly.

"Woo!"

Before they had taken more than a few steps, the lion suddenly roared, its legs buckled, and it almost pulled Cheng Xinzhan down. They fell two or three feet before it regained its footing and struggled to its feet.

Cheng Xinzhan looked up and realized that he had arrived in front of Lord Kuishan.

He patted the lion and said,
"Haven't you always wanted to see Lord Kuishan? Here you are. He has been in meditation for over sixty years without moving. Why not go closer and take a look?"

The lion looked up at the solitary peak, which resembled a giant python, and swallowed hard. As a fellow mountain lord, he was most acutely aware of the overwhelming, oppressive aura emanating from it. Furthermore, was this the Immortal Sect? To see a fourth-realm mountain lord standing so conspicuously in meditation right upon entering the mountain gate?
"I've seen it, I've seen it, there's no need to come any closer."

The lion replied in a low voice, then quietly moved away, preparing to go around it from a distance.

"Susu-"

Just then, a faint sound came from behind. Cheng Xinzhan's expression changed, and he looked up. His face then changed drastically.

For over sixty years, the Lord of Kui Mountain had remained motionless, his body covered in dust, forming a thick crust of earth, upon which vines and wild grasses grew. But at this moment, the crust of earth around the Lord's eyelids suddenly cracked open, turning into dust that fell down in a flurry.

Is the mountain lord about to wake up?

The lion naturally saw the commotion and immediately froze on the spot, its four legs trembling slightly. It had only one thought in its mind: Could it be that I shouted out loud and offended my senior?
"Crash-"

The sound of the soil cracking grew louder and louder, and blackish-yellow gravel and sand flowed down like turbid river water from a precipice, raising a cloud of dust that completely obscured the body of the Kui Mountain Lord.

"Kakaka-"

Immediately following was a series of popping sounds from the joints, like thunder, loud and rapid.

Cheng Xinzhan knew that the mountain lord, who had been in meditation for seventy or eighty years, was truly about to awaken. He looked at the lion again, wondering if it was just a coincidence that he had encountered it, or if it was truly because of the lion.

The lion looked completely innocent, but its eyes betrayed a hint of panic.

The commotion was so great that everyone nearby noticed and gathered around. Upon closer inspection, they saw Cheng Xinzhan and were all overjoyed, bowing respectfully.
"The master has returned to the mountain."

"I have met the scripture master."

"Programmer."

"..."

Cheng Xinzhan dismounted from the lion's back, smiling as he returned the greeting and acquaintances. At that moment, several streaks of light approached from afar, likely having sensed the mountain lord's movements and come specifically to meet him.

"Was it you who woke up the patriarch?"

The first to arrive was Su Duyi, the deputy head of the Goddess Peak, which was closest to the area. She stood next to Cheng Xinzhan.

This vice-leader possesses remarkable youthful appearance, looking to be in his twenties or thirties, making him the youngest-looking among the five leaders (four vice-leaders and one leader). However, it seems that the female sect leaders are more concerned about this aspect; among the eight branches of Lotus Blessed Land, the female sect leaders all appear much younger than the male sect leaders.

"Master Su."

Cheng Xinzhan bowed and then said,
"I don't know what happened, but when I was returning to the mountain and passing by the mountain lord, the mountain lord made a move."

Su Duyi looked Cheng Xinzhan over and exclaimed in surprise.

"I see that you are full of Dao intent and your essence is surging. You have already formed a Dharma body and are nurturing a budding immortality?"

Cheng Xinzhan was also somewhat surprised upon hearing this. Although he had relaxed after returning to the mountain and no longer deliberately concealed his aura and realm with the Xuanji Wulou Talisman, he was, after all, a cultivator of the Wind Law and had many Qi Sha that concealed the secrets of heaven. Ordinary people would still find it difficult to see through his strength. However, he did not expect that this Sect Leader Su had such a high level of insight and could see through his current situation at a glance.

He nodded.

At this moment, the mountain king woke up, and there were many onlookers. The two did not hide their conversation, and many people heard it, causing an uproar.

Su Duyi looked at Cheng Xinzhan with surprise at first, then smiled.
"You are very good. The sect leader's vision and decision-making are also excellent."

Cheng Xinzhan smiled and agreed.
"It's all thanks to the guidance and training of my master."

Su Duyi nodded with a smile, then noticed the lion beside Cheng Xinzhan. Upon seeing it, a look of sudden enlightenment appeared on her face.

"Is this the Lion King?"

Cheng Xinzhan nodded. He knew that he had gone to Goddess Peak to borrow magic a few years ago.

"No wonder. Perhaps the patriarch woke up when he saw a junior from the Mountain Lord entering the mountain."

Su Duyi said.

Cheng Xinzhan patted the lion.

"Your method for restoring your origin was borrowed from Sect Leader Su."

The lion's heart skipped a beat; another fourth realm! He obediently lowered his head and said in a muffled voice,
"Many thanks to Master Su for imparting the teachings."

Su Duyi smiled and nodded, her eyes flashing. Just as she was about to say something, several other streaks of light arrived and landed beside the two of them.

"Xinzhan is back."

“Heart’s gaze”.

“It’s time for the good sutra teacher to return to the mountain and preach the sutras.”

"It's extreme, it's extreme."

Cheng Xinzhan glanced around and saw that the sect leader, Tongxuan Grandmaster, Master Fu, and Mountain Lord Zhao—the top cultivators in the mountain—had all arrived. So he greeted them one by one.

The lion was practically burying its head under its belly. Were the fourth and fifth realms in the immortal mountain really that common? And, it seemed like my master was quite familiar with them.
"Has Xinzhan brought back a mountain lord? No wonder the marshal has finally made a move."

Ji Hehe looked at the lion with curiosity.

At that moment, Shi Tongxuan, Fu Shouzhen, and Zhao Wuji's eyes all lit up.

Su Duyi saw the expressions on these people's faces and immediately turned pale, giving Ji Hehe a fierce glare.

“Xinzhan is really lucky. Returning to the mountain always brings us some unexpected surprises. This lion has reached the third realm, and it’s time to register it. Since it was brought back by Xinzhan, let’s record it in Meiji Mountain.”

Shi Tongxuan said with a smile.

Fu Shouzhen's expression immediately changed, and he said repeatedly,

"Master Shi, you were once the Vice Master of Chunyang Hall, in charge of our Shuji Mountain. How come now that you've become the Vice Master of Yujing Peak, you're already eyeing Mingzhi Mountain? I think this matter needs further discussion."

Zhao Wuji nodded in agreement, smiling as he looked at Cheng Xinzhan.
“Xin Zhan’s advancement is fast, faster than we expected, but he hasn’t reached the fourth realm yet. According to the rules of Mingzhi Mountain, he can’t accept disciples yet. And we have many vacancies in our Nine Heavens Yingyuan Palace. I think we can register him under the name of Shuji Mountain for now.” Fu Shouzhen nodded. That was his idea.

Su Duyi gave a light snort and said,
"When did it become your Cardinal Mountain's turn to join in the fun? I'll be frank: this mountain lord has already cultivated the methods of our Goddess Peak. If he can't enter Meiji Mountain, then he'll definitely come to our Goddess Peak!"

"Hey! That's not right."

Upon hearing this, Fu Shouzhen glared and bristled, about to have a serious argument with the vice-leader, when at that moment, the dust around Lord Kuishan gradually dissipated, and a powerful voice rang out.

"What's the noise about?"

So everyone stood at attention and said...
"Congratulations on Marshal's successful completion of his mission."

This is the voice of Ji Hehe and Shi Tongxuan.

"Congratulations on your completion of seclusion, Lord of the Manor."

These are the voices of Fu Shouzhen and Zhao Wuji.

"Congratulations to the patriarch on his emergence from seclusion."

This is Su Duyi's voice.

Everyone looked respectful, but they all addressed each other differently.

This is due to the unique experience of this mountain spirit. This mountain spirit has existed for more than 1,600 years and is a person of the "Ling" generation, five generations higher than the sect leader. In other words, when this person was cultivating the Tao, the sect leader and everyone present had not yet been born.

After this being gained sentience, he was unanimously accepted as a disciple of Goddess Peak, because the founder of Goddess Peak was a mountain spirit who had attained enlightenment, thus possessing complete teachings and being most suitable to instruct the mountain spirit. This being was the true form of the Kui Python, and the elders of Goddess Peak gave him the surname "Kui". According to the genealogy, when it came to the "Ling" generation, the elders of Goddess Peak placed high hopes on this being and gave him the surname "Guan".

Therefore, the name of Lord Kuishan is "Lingguan". In Taoism, this is a very important and special name. Ordinary people's fates cannot suppress it, and they dare not take it lightly.

However, the Mountain Lord lived up to this name, advancing rapidly and profoundly in cultivation, leaving others far behind and astonishing generations. But after reaching the third realm, the Mountain Lord's speed slowed down, because the Mountain Lord's lifespan was extremely long, and the intervals between tribulations and calamities were very long.

After reaching the third realm, Shan Jun's cultivation shifted from rapid and deep to deep and broad, and his talent in the Thunder Dao gradually emerged. As a result, he was specially approved by the then sect leader to serve and learn the Dharma at the Nine Heavens Yingyuan Palace. His treatment was the same as that of a true disciple of the Thunder Palace, just like Cheng Xinzhan today.

Thus, the Kui Ling official cultivated in the Thunder Palace. His long lifespan and extremely long intervals between tribulations allowed him to spend more time on the affairs of the Thunder Palace. He took turns serving in all three departments of the Thunder Palace and proposed and presided over the expansion of the original seven departments into the eleven departments of today. After serving in the affairs of the three departments and eleven departments, he naturally entered the Divine Firmament Jade Purity Palace and became the Lord of the Nine Heavens Responding Origin Palace, bearing the Dharma lineage of two mountains.

After serving as the prefect for a long time, he voluntarily stepped down to a younger man and went to the Five Thunder Academy to become its head, teaching thunder magic.

Not long after, this man reached the fourth realm and was immediately promoted to the position of Vice Master of the Yuan Yin Hall, in charge of the sect's affairs.

After serving as the vice leader for a long time, he stepped down again and became the "Guardian Marshal" of the sect, a position equal to that of the vice leader, a position he holds to this day.

"Congratulations on Marshal's successful completion of his mission."

Cheng Xinzhan addressed them as the sect leader and the patriarch, and at the same time, the fellow disciples who had gathered to watch the spectacle also bowed and offered their congratulations.

As the smoke and dust cleared, Cheng Xinzhan and his fellow disciples finally saw the true face of Lord Kuishan for the first time.

The solitary peak remains, resembling a giant python, but it is now clearly a stone mountain, its purple scales gone. And atop the python's head, a burly man sits cross-legged.

The man was tall and straight, with a broad back and a narrow waist. He wore a purple jade crown and a purple-silver robe. He had a broad forehead, thick eyebrows, a bushy beard, and leopard-like eyes. He was truly imposing and awe-inspiring.

"Disperse, disperse! What are you doing standing around like that!"

The spirit official shouted, his voice booming like thunder.

So the crowd that had been watching the spectacle dispersed.

Kui Lingguan also stood up, approached Ji Hehe, and bowed.
"Headmaster."

Ji Hehe smiled and said,
"The Marshal has been in meditation for quite a long time this time."

The Spirit Master nodded.

"Yes, but the gains were also considerable; the fire is over."

"Really!"

Kui Lingguan spoke casually, but Ji Hehe was overjoyed, exclaiming repeatedly,
"That's truly cause for celebration, cause for celebration!"

The others were also overjoyed and offered their congratulations.

In the practice of Neidan Dao, if the Yuan Ying realm is subdivided, it can be divided into two stages. The first stage is "Jun Ying" (forming the infant), which is further divided into four steps: "Xian Ya" (immortal sprout), "Ming Pei" (life embryo), "Cheng Tai" (formation of the embryo), and "Yuan Ying" (primordial infant). However, preparations for "Xian Ya" and "Ming Pei" begin at the third stage. The four stages in the true sense begin from "Cheng Tai".

The second stage of the Four Realms is the "Three Calamities," which refers to wind calamity, fire calamity, and lightning calamity. Some people also follow the saying of the Nine Cleanses of the Golden Elixir and simply call it the First Calamity, the Second Calamity, and the Third Calamity.

After successfully completing the two stages of conceiving a baby and resisting the three calamities, one can seek the opportunity to merge with the Dao. Now that the Kui Ling Guan has passed the second calamity, it means that he is not far from the fifth realm. How can everyone not be happy?

Cheng Xinzhan admired the mountain lord's composure even more. The Nine Tribulations of the Golden Core stage were struck by heavenly lightning, with tremendous force, while the Three Calamities of the Nascent Soul stage arose from within, silently and without warning, but were even more dangerous than the Nine Tribulations. A single misstep could reduce one to ashes. Ordinary people undergoing tribulations in the Four Realms are far more cautious than those undergoing tribulations, cultivating in seclusion and entering a life-or-death retreat, allowing no disturbance whatsoever. Yet this lord chose to enter meditation behind the mountain gate, where people come and go. This truly demonstrated his skill and daring.

"Marshal, let me introduce you. This is our contemporary Master of Ten Thousand Laws, surnamed Cheng, Daoist name Xinzhan. He is a disciple of Sukong and is now the pillar and leader of the younger generation of the sect. He also serves as the lecturer elder of Juqu Mountain and Sanyuan Mountain. Xinzhan is only fifty-six years old this year, and he has already completed the second purification of the Golden Core and formed the Dharma Form."

Ji Hehe explained.

"Oh?"

The spirit official looked over.

In Sanqing Mountain, the "Guardian Marshal" and the "Master of Ten Thousand Dharmas" are ranked side by side. One is the chief protector of the Dharma, and the other is the chief lecturer of the sutras. Both are extraordinary positions, which are only granted to those who have made great contributions to the sect and have the ability to convince the masses.

The Sanqingshan School has been established for 6,000 years, and it is extremely rare to find a "Guardian Marshal" who is over a thousand years old, but a "Master of Ten Thousand Laws" who is over fifty years old is definitely one of a kind.

"Greetings, Marshal."

Cheng Xinzhan bowed.

The official returned the greeting, then carefully examined Cheng Xinzhan for a moment before smiling.

"The sect leader has always had good judgment."

"Hahaha--"

Ji Hehe laughed heartily.

The Spirit Master then looked at the lion and addressed the crowd,
"Stop fighting over it, all of you. I really did wake up after seeing the lion. If the master has no objection, could you let me teach this lion? The generation name can be chosen by me from Goddess Peak, but it will still be a person from Meiji Mountain."

The marshal opened his mouth, and everyone fell silent.

Cheng Xinzhan understood immediately. This was the same path as Zhao Li's, and with the marshal personally teaching him, it was an incredible opportunity. Naturally, he had no objections and quickly called for the lion.
"Aren't you going to pay your respects?"

The lion was somewhat dizzy, his legs were still trembling violently, and he was still nervous, but more than that, he was overwhelmed with joy. He bent his front legs and knelt down before the Spirit Official, kowtowing and saying,
"Disciple pays homage to Master!"

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(End of this chapter)