Great Red Immortal Sect

Chapter 357 Jian Sui
Taixu.

Amidst the surging thunder and lightning of the azure sky, a man in a plain white robe emerges, his appearance exceptionally refined, with three rows of wind and thunder patterns between his brows.

His breath was like wind and rain, his shouts like thunder, and he moved through the void. He rarely used any supernatural powers or magic. Through the interaction between heaven and man, the void itself provided assistance, and he could move through the air at will.

"We've arrived in Jiangnan."

Zhou You lowered his gaze slightly, raised his hand, and summoned a bright blue talisman. It grew larger in the wind and instantly became as tall as a mountain, blocking out the void above.

With a gentle flick, the talisman, along with the entire void, was torn down, revealing a patch of azure clouds that manifested as the Heavenly Dao, connecting to a Daoist gate. Azure lightning condensed, transforming into a plaque inscribed with the words "Azure Cloud Heaven."

A pair of exquisitely carved children, a boy and a girl, emerged from the Qingyun Dao Sect and stood by the roadside.

The man is upright, holding a whisk in his hand, while the woman is elegant, raising a feather fan. When the two touch, a pure and clean light falls, which is a rare true Qi spiritual light. At this moment, it is just to welcome the visitors and cleanse them of the dust.

"A real person."

Upon seeing the newcomer, the two boys' eyes lit up. They were about to rush forward, but then remembered their duties and dared not act rashly. Instead, they worked even harder to activate their magical artifacts.

Zhou You smiled and nodded, quite amiably, as he ascended the Azure Cloud Ladder, surrounded by the vast emptiness.

He paused briefly before entering the Taoist gate, looked up at the plaque, and sighed.
"Having spent so long in the Western Sea, I feel somewhat out of place returning today. Jingming, when was this plaque changed?"

The boy holding the whisk stepped forward, his little face serious, his voice still somewhat childish, and replied, word by word:

"Reporting to the True Immortal, it was the sect leader of [Bi Mo] who ordered the change, saying that with the spring thunder approaching, it should be changed every season according to the four seasons."

"So it was Master who gave the order."

Upon hearing this, Zhou You lowered his gaze slightly, nodded, and stepped into the Qingyun Dao Sect.

Inside, there is another world, complete with sacred mountains and immortal peaks, rivers and lakes. Not only do cultivators come and go, but mortals also live peacefully, creating a scene of tranquility.

Azure clouds floated in the sky, and in the mid-sky, a celestial thunderbolt formed a blue moon. The seasons changed, and the ethereal blessings were none other than the [Celestial Capital Celestial Ritual Blessing].

Beneath this azure moon stands a towering ancient tree, reaching straight into the clouds. Its jade-like leaves shimmer with light, like countless stars in constant motion.

The roots of this ancient tree connect several sacred mountains. The boat rides the wind and arrives directly above the sacred mountains beneath this ancient tree.

Many Taoist priests in green robes came and went in this place, and they all bowed to him. He responded to each of them and descended to the front of a cave on the summit of a sacred mountain.

The purple aura before the cave shifted and changed, its magnificence beyond description, transforming into a radiant tapestry of light that spread out in all directions, encircling the cave dwelling. Rows of black iron wind chimes hung silently in front, complementing the tapestry of light.
Upon entering, he saw a patch of celestial lightning, constantly shifting and changing, with the intention of dispelling evil and purifying the air, and harmonizing the wind and rain. He focused his gaze and gradually saw a human figure slowly materialize within this celestial lightning, appearing from nothingness.

The human form became more and more solid, and the lightning gradually disappeared, revealing the figure of a female Taoist priest. She was dressed in a white and black robe, her black hair was not tied up but bound with blue lightning, and her appearance and figure were like those of a girl of about ten years old. She carried a green wooden sword on her back and held a whisk in her hand.

"Master."

Zhou You appeared to be considerably older than the other man, but at this moment, he lowered his eyes and respectfully addressed him as "Master."

"Has something strange happened in the Western Sea since you returned today?"

The female Taoist priest walked out slowly. Every time she stepped out, the black iron wind chimes in front of the cave would move without wind and ring out clear sounds. She led the boat forward and reached the top of the peak, where she could see the blue moon and ancient trees in the distance.

Zhou You's gaze shifted, looking at the towering ancient tree, before turning back to say:
"Reporting to Master, it is related to the Taiyuan Green Wood. A disciple of Qingchen Reef sensed it and conceived a spiritual embryo. The phenomenon is quite extraordinary."

Upon hearing this, Bi Mo looked over, her expression remaining as cold and unyielding as ice, her voice clear and indifferent as she said:

"Is it 'Pure Qi' or 'Soaring Thunder'? If the aptitude is good, they can be allowed to enter the grotto-heaven for cultivation."

She had the appearance and figure of a young woman of sixteen or seventeen, while Zhou You, who was tall and slender, had to bend down so that his master would not have to look up to speak.

"None of them are 'Yuanmu' (元木). At birth, there were signs of a blue ox with woodblock prints, a white deer and a pine tree, the room was filled with the fragrance of wood, green blossoms fell, and the wind and thunder subsided."

“Master, I fear there may be some scheming involved, so I have come to the sect to ask for your instructions.”

As soon as Zhou You said this, Bi Mo's eyes flickered, a blue arc flashing within them. With a wave of her hand, the entire spiritual peak instantly rose a thousand feet, soaring into the clouds, facing the towering ancient tree, where one could see the star-like green leaves.

"You are overthinking it. The Taiyuan Green Wood was obtained by the Qingxiao Ancestor from the Donghua Dao lineage. It can transform into the two natures of wind and thunder, which corresponds to the two Dao lineages of our sect. As for the reappearance of the nature of the Yuan Wood now, there is a reason for it."

Bi Mo activated her divine power, extending her slender, white hand. With a single grasp, the world turned upside down, and the towering ancient tree landed in her palm, barely an inch taller than before, its green leaves shimmering in the light, surrounded by wind and thunder.

"This spiritual root was left by the True Lord Jian Sui. When our ancestor studied under him, he was given this item to promote the lineage of Taoism. There was a debate about Taoism."

“Yuanmu (original wood) receives Shaoyang (lesser yang) above and governs wind and thunder below. If the yang position is not prominent, the wood nature is unrestrained and will disperse into wind and thunder. Only when Shaoyang gathers and manifests can the virtue of Yuanmu be generated.”

Upon hearing this, Zhou You calmed down somewhat, still bending slightly forward, listening to his master's sermon, as if he had gained some understanding.

"So it is the dragons of the East Sea who used their methods to stir up Shaoyang and cause this." "That's right. The birth of this child is a perfect continuation of the Qingyuan Immortal Path, which can be considered as our Shangxiao lineage remembering our Dao affinity and not forgetting where we came from."

As she spoke, Bi Mo gently clenched her fist, and the [Taiyuan Green Wood] in her hand emitted a green glow, condensing into a scroll of Daoist scripture.

"The Book of Qingyuan Yiyang is here. Take it now and make preparations. Keep an eye on the Western Sea. Pay close attention to it."

"Yes." Zhou You took the Taoist book, his gaze shifting, "Is Senior Uncle [Zhuoxie] still holding a position in the Thunder Department, or is he staying at a mountain gate in the lower realm?"

"he?"

Bi Mo waved his whisk and returned the ancient tree to its original place.

“Now the mountain gate is under the control of [Xinggu]. Senior Brother Zhuoxie can’t stay idle, so he volunteered to lead the Thunder Department to fight against the demons of Daleyu on the frontier. He got so into the fight that he didn’t want to come back even when I gave the order.”

“My senior master was fighting Yao Lu of Guiyi Dao before, and now he is facing off against Da Le Yu Jing Tu. He hasn’t had a day of rest. Won’t that affect his cultivation?”

Zhou You's voice was full of concern, but Bi Mo shook her head and said calmly:
“That’s just his personality. He can’t stand evil. If he had focused on cultivating, he would have reached the peak of the Purple Mansion realm long ago, and I wouldn’t be needed to be the sect leader.”

“It would have been right to let him cultivate the Thunder God’s Way back then. Now that he’s old, he’s going to the Thunder God’s Way on behalf of the clan and enter the path of the gods. I owe him this.”

Upon hearing this, Zhou You fell silent for a moment, but then Bi Mo waved his hand and said in a deep voice:
"If you have nothing else to do, take advantage of this time to come back and visit the Thunder Department. Didn't you want to go in place of your senior uncle? You can go and see the [Mysterious Thunder]."

She emphasized the last two words slightly, with a hint of sarcasm.

"Yes."

Zhou You accepted the order, stood up straight, and then rode the wind away.

On the summit of Lingfeng, only Bi Mo remained. She lowered her gaze slightly, took a step forward, and vanished in an instant, arriving atop the towering green tree.

Amidst the ancient tree canopy, where verdant greenery surges, stands a magnificent hall of gold and white, a scene of the first rays of sunlight and the first light of dawn in the east.

She drew the wooden sword from her back. The sword was dark blue, with a seven-constellation pattern of a blue dragon on it, and the words "Decree of the Year" were engraved on it.

With a single sword strike, as if parting the sea, the vast azure expanse was cleaved open, revealing an ancient, simple white jade celestial path leading to that golden and white treasure hall.

Bi Mo walked slowly on the white jade path, with green leaves spinning like large stars around her. The primordial wood shone brightly, the wind howled, and the blue thunder rose and fell.

The Golden and White Hall appeared before them, its form quite ancient, resembling the Ancestral Hall. Bi Mo stood in front, hesitated slightly, but still went inside.

A vast golden-white light flashed, obscuring her physical form and entering the hall. Inside, the faint scent of incense condensed into clouds that lingered for a long time.

Three paintings hang in the hall, each depicting a deity and guiding incense offerings.

The lower right corner features the light of thunder and lightning. In the painting is a Taoist priest in a green robe, holding a whisk and talismans, standing high in the sky. His face is blurred, and beside him, incense smoke condenses into golden characters that read "Qingxiao".

The lower left corner depicts a pure and ethereal wind. The painting shows a woman in a white robe riding a white deer and holding a wooden sword. Her figure and face are blurred and indistinct. Beside her are the golden characters that read "Qingxu" (清虚).

The topmost picture is completely blank, with nothing in it, not even a single word.

Bi Mo looked up and her heart stirred. She first offered incense and paid her respects to the two immortal portraits on the left and right, with great solemnity, before looking at the blank painting at the top.

She bowed respectfully, offered incense, and said in a humble voice:

"The lineage of Shangxiao, the continuation of the Donghua legal system, the way of Yuanmu wind and thunder, [the Lord of the First Yang of the Year]."

As soon as Bi Mo uttered these words, the words solidified and burst forth from her mouth, clattering and falling to the ground, transforming into a shower of blue light that scattered across the earth.

The topmost picture was still blank. Bi Mo slowly stood up, her face calm and composed. She used her supernatural powers to sweep away all the scattered words around her.

Seeing nothing amiss, she immediately flew away, returning in an instant to her secluded cave. Qinghua then concealed the golden and white hall among the towering ancient trees, and no one discovered her whereabouts.

Amidst shifting purple mists and the clear chimes of wind chimes, she stepped into the cave, her figure gradually disappearing into layers of lightning and light, until only her face remained, slowly fading away.

"Establish the year?"

She chanted the Taoist name again, subtly using her supernatural powers, pointing directly at a certain lord, but all remained calm, without the slightest sign of anything unusual.

"So that's how it is; it has fallen into my path."

As if enlightened, Bi Mo completely concealed himself within the light of the thunderous magic. Outside the cave, the wind chimes swayed, their clear sounds ringing out continuously.

(End of this chapter)