Swing the sword at the future female devil

Chapter 276 Celestial Master's Sacrifice to Heaven
When Duan Huaige and his companions arrived at the Demon Subduing Hall of the Celestial Master's Mansion, they found that the outer area was already crowded with people, including the two Zen masters who had traveled with him to Longhu Mountain.

Representatives from major factions such as Luban Taoism, Zen Buddhism, Wudang, Quanzhen, Shaolin, Kunlun, Shushan, Miaojiang, and several Huaxia academies attended the event. In addition to these, there were also factions with family-based lineages—such as the Wu family of Xiangxi who practiced corpse-driving and soul-refining, and the Xu family of Jiangnan who practiced alchemy and medicine making…

Judging from this lineup alone, it can be described as a grand gathering rarely seen since the revival of spiritual energy. It seems that the people from various forces present have all heard instructions from their own forces or some rumors from the outside world, and many of them have already guessed the old Celestial Master's purpose.

"It seems the Celestial Master's Mansion's fragmented map of the land and its people cannot be preserved and must be handed over..."

"Sigh, the Celestial Master's Mansion isn't exactly weak, so how come it couldn't even protect the incomplete map passed down from its ancestors? If the Celestial Masters of all generations knew this, they would be so angry they'd come back to life."

"Shh! Be careful what you say! A common man is innocent, but possessing a treasure is a crime. The Celestial Master's Mansion lost its Celestial Master's lineage during the Hongwu era of the Ming Dynasty and began to decline gradually. Naturally, it does not have the strength to protect the incomplete map now... handing it over is a wise move."

"Hmph, to put it bluntly, isn't it just cowardice? If it were our family, we would fight to the last man to die to protect the treasures passed down from our ancestors."

Hearing the whispers around them, many disciples of Longhu Mountain turned pale. They wanted to refute, but couldn't say anything.

When has Longhu Mountain ever been afraid? Why did the Old Celestial Master insist on handing over the treasure to someone else?
"quiet!"

Zhang Mingyi, still draped in a crane-feather cloak, stood tall and composed, like an ancient pine tree standing in the main hall.

"Please summon the Celestial Master!"

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the Bagua Platform glowed with a deep blue light, and the clear, melodious tolling of bells echoed from all seventy-two peaks of Longhu Mountain. The old Celestial Master, adorned in a purple-gold robe embroidered with stars, ascended the altar in a grand, step-by-step manner.

The twelve tassels hanging from the jade crown vibrated with the spiritual pressure, emitting a tinkling sound. The black-robed disciples around the altar were arranged in the Big Dipper formation, their bronze magic swords emitting three inches of azure light.

Suddenly, a purple aura surged like a tide in the eastern sky, and three black cranes carrying sacrificial talismans made of thousand-year-old lightning-struck wood descended through the clouds. The Celestial Master's sword was drawn from its sheath, and the seal script characters "Yangping Zhidu Gongyin" engraved on the blade lit up one by one. The spiritual energy surging in the mountains condensed into a liquid band of light at the tip of the sword.

"The Three-Five Male and Female Swords for Slaying Evil! These are the swords carried by successive Celestial Masters. Today, the Old Celestial Master is presiding over the sacrificial ceremony in front of all of us. Could it be that something big is about to happen?"

Unlike the astonishment of others regarding the magical artifact and spirit sword, Duan Huaige was slightly taken aback upon seeing the old Celestial Master's sacrificial ceremony, because he felt a strange sense of familiarity with the sacrificial robes worn by the old Celestial Master...

Have you seen it somewhere before? Or have you simply been reading too many novels and watching too many TV dramas?
The old Celestial Master spoke slowly, his voice booming like a great bell, resounding and deafening:
On the occasion of the Xuan Yuan Festival, Zhang, the 65th Celestial Master of the Han Dynasty, respectfully offers sacrifices and wine, and dares to solemnly announce to the Jade Emperor and the Heavenly Palace, and to the Empress Dowager:

[It is said that the Dharma-ending Age has ended and the spiritual veins have been revived. Since the earthquake at Kunlun Ruins in the year Jiazi, the celestial and terrestrial networks have been restored. Now, demons and monsters take form in the marketplace, and dragons and serpents lurk in the rivers. Our Dao, inheriting the transformations of the Three Pure Ones, wields the Five Thunder Orthodox Law, and vows to suppress evil spirits throughout the eight directions and protect countless living beings.]

[I now offer nine bushels of Dragon and Tiger Cinnabar, and write the entire scroll of the "Scripture of Salvation" to be burned at the Li position; I take one hundred catties of Penglai Mystic Iron and forge twelve swords to slay evil, which are hung at the Xun gate. I wish to borrow the power of the celestial bodies to restore the order of Yin and Yang; I earnestly request the Four Emperors to bestow their mercy and re-secure the cauldron of mountains and rivers.]

[Those who lurk in the night shall be terrified by the Golden Light Incantation; those lurking demons from beyond the realm shall be shattered by the Five Thunder Seal. We humbly beseech the Three Officials and Nine Palaces to grant the Celestial Master's Precious Edict; and the Seven Stars of the Big Dipper to command the descending True Qi of the Mysterious Netherworld. May the righteous laws of the Xuanmen (Taoist school) flourish forever, and may the spiritual essence of China never fall!]

【May you rest in peace!】 The moment the sacrificial text was finished, the handle of the Big Dipper on the altar shifted seven degrees, and the Yao Guang star shone directly on the Demon-Subduing Well in the Demon-Suppressing Hall. The nine-layered talisman chains in the well rang like the roar of a dragon, and the well water flowed backward into a pillar that pierced the sky, condensing the purple aura in the sky into a giant Tai Chi diagram.

……

In the far west, the demoness Taiqing seemed to have sensed something. She turned back and glanced towards Longhu Mountain, revealing a playful smile.

She casually tossed aside the souls she had just killed, and the Heavenly Demon Emperor's Soul Banner grew taller in the wind, blotting out the sky and turning the place into a living hell. Countless souls fell into the Soul Banner, wailing and letting out painful and shrill roars.

If Duan Huaige were to see Taiqing now, he would be utterly shocked. Compared to the little girl he first met, the demoness has gradually transformed into a girl of about twelve or thirteen years old. Moreover, the murderous aura and oppressive presence emanating from her have become increasingly terrifying.

It seems some people really want me to get there sooner...

……

After the sacrificial ceremony was completed, the old Celestial Master slowly spoke: "Fellow Daoists, you must all have heard about the affairs of the Celestial Master's Mansion. The Celestial Master's Mansion has possessed the incomplete map of the Jiangshan Sheji Tu for a hundred years. Now that the spiritual veins are reviving, it is an era of great contention. Whoever is capable will possess this map!"

"As the Celestial Master's Mansion's Luo Tian Grand Ceremony is about to begin, I hereby solemnly invite all fellow Daoists to participate in this Luo Tian Grand Ceremony. Only those who are outstanding talents below the Core Formation Realm are eligible. If you can defeat everyone and enter the top four, this incomplete map will be yours!"

Upon hearing this, a stir broke out below. No one expected that the Celestial Master's Mansion would have such boldness as to offer a fragment of the "Map of Mountains and Rivers" as a reward!
You should know that this thing, let alone exchanging for, can be used as a bargaining chip to make many forces that want it bleed a lot!

But the Celestial Master's Mansion didn't want anything; they just wanted them to participate in the Luo Tian Grand Ceremony!
"Isn't that a bit odd? Old Master, you were talking about the first four... Could this incomplete map possibly be divided into four parts?"

"Of course not." The old Celestial Master smiled faintly and said, "Those who make it into the top four will continue to compete. According to their ranking, they can go to the Celestial Master's Mansion Ascension Platform to participate in the inheritance test of the Celestial Master's Degree."

"Anyone who obtains the Celestial Master's Pass can simultaneously obtain the incomplete map of the Jiangshan Sheji Tu (Map of Mountains and Rivers)! At the same time, they can independently cultivate a branch of the Celestial Master's Pass's inheritance. As long as you don't pass it on to others, the Celestial Master's Mansion will not interfere!"

"If none of the top four pass the Celestial Master's Test, then the champion will take the incomplete map of the land and its people!"

Many people in the audience felt a chill run down their spines. The Celestial Master's Mansion was incredibly generous in this move—not only was there a chance to receive a fragment of the Jiangshan Sheji Map for free, but there was also a chance to receive a supreme inheritance within the Celestial Master's lineage for free.

To further dispel any doubts about the champion, a safety net mechanism was added: if everyone fails the Celestial Master's Degree test, then you get the incomplete map. The other three players in the top four also have a chance to turn the tables and achieve a comeback in the Celestial Master's Degree inheritance…

This rule design is quite ingenious, not only bringing everyone onto the chariot, but also giving the people of the Celestial Master's Mansion a chance to protect their own family's remaining map.

(End of this chapter)