Great Red Immortal Sect

Chapter 433 The Four Paths of Beichen
Several months have passed since the divine punishment.

Thunderclouds rolled and silver light burst forth, obscuring the sunlight. It was the time of the Awakening of Insects, and the insects in the mountains were gradually awakening amidst the thunder.

Below was an ancient hall, with pine incense burning inside. On the main seat in front was a Taoist priest dressed in a black robe, with a calm yet sharp demeanor and gentle eyes looking at the newcomer.

The man in blue stood still, with a girl in a black dress beside him. She was about eight years old, with dark eyes, a beautiful and intelligent appearance, and a black jade pendant around her neck.

"Shu Han, why haven't you paid your respects to your grandmaster yet?"

Liu Xingfang spoke with a smile, and the girl beside him stepped forward gracefully. She was not intimidated and knelt down to greet him respectfully, calling him her grandmaster.

Xu Xuan nodded, a hint of a smile in his eyes. He then used his magic to lift the girl up, and after a brief look, his smile widened.

"A spiritual root that's one foot and two inches long?"

"Exactly."

Liu Xingfang stepped forward, a hint of joy on her face, and looked at her daughter with a much gentler gaze.

Liu Shuhan's parents were both exceptionally beautiful and talented, but she has now surpassed them in talent, and is almost certain to reach the Foundation Establishment stage.

Xu Xuan asked the child a few questions, and the child answered fluently, even offering many witty remarks that amused him.

'Exceptional talent and a sharp mind; no wonder the Wu family wanted to register Shu Han under their main lineage.'

He did not stop this matter. The Wu family was already close among its members, and sending Shu Han to cultivate the Qi-cultivating righteous method was a truly bright future. When he returned to the sect in the future, he would also be an important figure connecting the two sides.

"I sent Shu Han here today so that my master could lead her to the ancestral hall to offer incense and formally become my disciple."

Seeing that his daughter was favored by his master, Liu Xingfang felt a little relieved. He had married a woman from the Wu family and sent his eldest daughter away, so there were bound to be some rumors in the mountains, but as long as the master didn't care, there was nothing to worry about.

"Shu Han, your mother's family is in the south. Would you like to go and stay there for a while?"

"Shu Han refused."

The girl looked a little downcast, which made Liu Xingfang, who was standing nearby, anxious. She leaned closer and whispered:

"Didn't we agree on this before we came?"

"I can't bear to leave this home."

Liu Shuhan's dark eyes darted over, and Liu Xingfang felt somewhat ashamed. She had to coax the girl a few times before she whispered that she was willing.

"Come with me into the Ancestral Hall first."

Xu Xuan stood up with a flick of his sleeve, activated his supernatural powers, broke through the void, and instantly brought the two to Tianqing, arriving at the rebuilt Ancestral Hall.

The incense and golden energy swirled in the hall, with many spirit tablets placed above them, creating a solemn atmosphere. Since the previous turmoil, many new tablets had been added. Xu Xuan first looked at Wen Fufeng in the center, and then turned his gaze to Wang Xiwei below.

Although Liu Shuhan was young, she was very polite. She respectfully offered incense, knelt and bowed, and her movements were very swift. She had been a little sad before, but she had already composed herself.

'He's better than Xiao Wen'

Xu Xuan couldn't help but compare them in his mind. When Liu Xiao first came up the mountain, he was still a wild child. How could he know so much about etiquette? He ran all over the mountain and fields, and even when he arrived at the Ancestral Hall, he was not at peace.

However, recalling Xiao Wen's many straightforward actions in his youth, and even the many troubles he caused, Wang Qiyun and Zhang Gaoxia always took the blame for him. The friendship between them was much more genuine than that between the cultivators in the sect today.

A slight smile appeared on his lips as he quietly watched the girl complete the formalities, thus officially entering the lineage of the sect.

The group left the Ancestral Hall and walked along the mountain path of Tianqing Peak. Xu Xuan looked at the child, his expression slightly solemn, and said:

"Once you've joined a martial arts family for cultivation, don't slack off. Start Qi Refining as soon as possible; it will speed up your Foundation Establishment process considerably."

"Yes."

Liu Shuhan agreed, then turned her gaze to her father, her expression somewhat mischievous, and said:
"I want to cultivate faster than my father."

"well."

Liu Xingfang patted her head, his expression a mixture of relief and helplessness, and sighed, saying only:

"Shu Han has been an impatient person since childhood, and she is not very gentle and virtuous, just like her mother."

"I've remembered what you said, Father. I'll tell Mother when I hear it."

Liu Shuhan's voice grew louder, prompting Liu Xingfang to reach out and stop her nonsense. The girl moved nimbly and darted to Xu Xuan's side in an instant.

"How old are you? Why are you fooling around with a child?"

Upon hearing Xu Xuan's words, Liu Xingfang felt somewhat ashamed and could only watch as her daughter hid beside the sect leader, covering her mouth and chuckling at her.

"Grandmaster, they all say you are at the Purple Mansion realm. What kind of realm is that?"

Liu Shuhan raised her head and looked at the swordsman beside her. Her bright black eyes blinked, revealing a hint of innocence.

"Don't talk nonsense."

Liu Xingfang's expression turned slightly serious, but Xu Xuan waved his hand to stop him from speaking.

"It's only one realm higher than Foundation Establishment, it's nothing."

"Then I will also cultivate to the Purple Mansion realm in the future, surpassing Father and Mother by one realm."

"it is good."

Xu Xuan's face beamed with joy, but Liu Xingfang, standing to the side, felt a pang of indescribable unease, silently thinking to herself:
'They say grandparents and grandchildren have a special bond, and even supernatural powers are no exception.'

As Liu Shuhan was smiling, the jade pendant hanging around her neck suddenly lit up, displaying a lifelike image of a black tiger devouring a ghost, with ever-changing dark blue-black magic light.

"The Wu family has arrived. Take Shu Han and get ready; we're about to set off."

Xu Xuan spoke calmly, but Liu Shuhan, standing to the side, looked dejected and nestled into her father's arms.

With a flash of silver lightning, the void shattered, and Xu Xuan appeared outside the mountain gate's grand formation, whereupon a surge of dark blue demonic energy appeared.

From within emerged a young man in black robes riding a black tiger. His demeanor was somber, with a black flame between his brows and his closed third eye, from which a faint aura of supreme fire and impending doom could be seen dissipating.

"Fellow Daoist Bijie, it's been a long time."

Nan Wang was at the height of his power. Xu Xuan sensed it slightly and realized that the other party had also cultivated the next divine power. The spiritual light around him was changing, seemingly real and unreal.

"I had no idea that Fellow Daoist Nanwang would come in person. Please come in quickly."

Xu Xuan was slightly suspicious. He had thought it was a Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Wu family who had come here, but he did not expect it to be this True Person in person, which puzzled him.

The two entered the hall and sat down. The black tiger shrank in the wind, turning into a black cat, which leaped onto Nan Wang's shoulder and began licking its paws.

At this moment, a thunder sparrow also jumped out from Xu Xuan's shoulder. It was Dan Ting's sword spirit, chirping and arguing with the black cat. Neither side would give way and they started shouting at each other.

This black tiger is not a spirit beast, but a Purple Mansion Spiritual Artifact with an innate artifact spirit, whose wondrous qualities are no less than those of Dan Ting. "Fellow Daoist, your sword spirit seems to have improved quite a bit."

Nan Wang had a sharp eye and could tell at a glance that Dan Ting had been refined by the [Wind and Thunder Pool], and his power had increased, giving him the ability to transform wind and thunder.

"I went to sea and obtained some spiritual items to cleanse my sword."

Xu Xuan was unwilling to discuss matters of the Western Sea, and Nan Wang, seemingly aware of some inside information, wisely refrained from asking, only sighing:
"If this sword were to be refined with a wisp of Purple Mansion Earthly Lightning, its power in your hands would probably rival that of a Spiritual Treasure."

"She Lei is hard to find, so where can one find one of the Purple Mansion rank?"

Xu Xuan sighed inwardly. A spiritual object that conforms to the Daoist tradition is quite important to the Purple Mansion, as it has various wonderful uses such as nourishing life and increasing supernatural powers.

The dragon's formidable strength, besides its demonic form, lies in its two bolts of lightning: one a profound lightning bolt, and the other a celestial lightning bolt, which greatly enhance its combat prowess.

There will be opportunities in the future.

Nan Wang paused slightly, a subtle smile appearing on his face, and looked at Xu Xuan, saying only:

"Shu Han, has your physique been tested?"

"One foot and two inches."

"good."

Nan Wang nodded slightly, his expression remaining unchanged.

He was of noble birth and had seen many talented people. Moreover, for such aristocratic families, having a spiritual root was enough; they had plenty of ways to make up for it with magical power and cultivation.

True genius lies in one's understanding of the Daoist tradition; spiritual talent is secondary.

"May I ask which cultivation method your noble family wishes her to practice?"

Xu Xuan asked the question with a slightly solemn tone. Liu Shuhan was the legitimate daughter of his disciple, and she was also exceptionally talented. There were some things he needed to clarify before he could feel at ease.

Nan Wang was somewhat hesitant at this point, and after a moment of hesitation, he finally said:

"The cultivation technique that Shu Han is going to practice is the 'True Scripture of Traveling the Nine Provinces.' Once he cultivates the Immortal Foundation [Sinking into the Netherworld], it is a sixth-grade secret method of our clan. Once cultivated, one can subdue the Netherworld Demons and monsters, ride the punishment of Yin Thunder, and travel to the Wu Gen Xuan Peak."

“It is quite difficult to cultivate this immortal foundation. Over the years, only Shu Han should have some hope.”

Upon hearing this, Xu Xuan's heart stirred, but he simply replied:
“This disciple of mine is my only daughter, and I cherish her dearly. If there is any problem with this cultivation technique, I will not be able to explain it to her, and I am also afraid that it will damage the relationship between our two families in the future.”

"May I ask, Fellow Daoist Nanwang, is there any flaw in this cultivation technique?"

Nan Wang immediately shook his head, seeing that the other party seemed to have misunderstood, and simply said:
"Shu Han also carries the blood of my Wu family, how could I scheme against her? To be honest, this technique was jointly passed down by the [Northern Society Immortal Path] and the [Netherworld Demonic Lineage] of the ancient Northern Star Four Paths."

"This immortal foundation requires the father to hold the position of Thunder and the mother to serve as the Demon Master. It is extremely demanding. Only Shu Han has obtained this opportunity. My master personally selected her to cultivate this path. Her future is bright, and we will never harm her."

"So that's how it is. I misunderstood you, fellow Daoist." Xu Xuan's gaze darkened slightly, and he looked at Nan Wang. "May I ask what you mean by the Four Paths of Beichen? Could they be related to She Dai?"

"This happened after the Heavenly Court was destroyed and the Thunder Palace was destroyed."

Nan Wang's voice was leisurely, seemingly filled with some emotion.

"The four paths of Beichen are the two Immortal paths and the two Demonic paths, namely the [Northern Society Immortal Path], the [True Martial Profound Path], the [Netherworld Demonic Path], and the [Black Fiend Fate Path]."

"These four paths are all derived from the legacies of the ancient Heavenly Court, the Underworld, and even the Thunder Palace. They no longer prioritize governing the order of Heaven and Earth, but instead focus on studying the methods of profound cultivation and spiritual practice."

"My ancestors in the Wu family once cultivated at the Demon-Suppressing Temple, which was under the jurisdiction of the Demon-Suppressing Sect. They were disciples of a True Lord of the Dao of Qi, and thus this lineage was passed down."

His voice carried a hint of self-satisfaction. In terms of lineage and origin, the Wu family was not much inferior to the Golden Core Immortal Sect, and was a first-class family under the Immortal Sect.

"The True Martial Mysterious Path, now passed down to the Muwu Mountain, is located in the southern part of Jingchu, around the Yanjiang River. Its practitioners do not live in the world and focus on True Qi."

"As for the [Black Fiend Fate Lineage], it is the main lineage of the Fiend Demonic Path. In ancient times, it was the origin of Zhao Ting's Dao lineage. Now it is the residence of the Great Li Emperor's family and has some connection with the Qi State Preceptor."

Upon hearing this, Xu Xuan had some guesses in his mind. Seeing that the other party hesitated to mention the Northern Society, he simply said:
"The Northern Society Immortal Path, it must have been formed by inheriting the Thunder Palace's lineage and transitioning to the Immortal Path?"

"Indeed, I heard that it was established by a disciple of the Heavenly Lord Tianpeng, who was a follower of the Thunder God and had already become an immortal. He came out of the Thunder Palace and established the path of immortality."

A strange look appeared in Nan Wang's eyes, but he whispered:

"This path later disappeared, splitting into several branches, among which was the Northern Thunder of Fengdai, which produced a great master of the Shelei path, even the Crown Prince of Fengdai with the direct blood of the Golden Core was no match for him."

"There is another lineage, which has been incorporated into the current Shiyi Immortal Path. Therefore, this immortal path has a lot of Taoist scriptures related to She Lei."

Xu Xuan's eyes lit up as he understood Nan Wang's intention: to guide him. He couldn't help but feel grateful.

"I wonder, which sect's master owns this immortal sect?"

"It is a master of the [Gui Water] sect. This sect lives in secluded caves and does not establish a sect in the mortal world. My family only learned about these secrets through our connection with the sect."

"Thank you, fellow Daoist."

Xu Xuan's voice was sincere. The information Nan Wang had given him was all ancient secrets, known even to few in the Purple Mansion.

'The Wu family seeking me out likely has some connection to this matter.'

A thought flashed through his mind, and he began to understand why this master from one of the most prominent families in Dali was willing to take the initiative to befriend him and even do him a lot of favors.

The Daoist traditions of She Lei and Dai Qi are similar, and the connection between the four Daoist traditions of Bei Chen is also present, which is why they feel close to each other. Otherwise, the spiritual land of Tian Shui alone would probably not be enough to make this family act in this way.

"There is one more thing I need to tell you, my friend."

Nan Wang's gaze sharpened slightly, and he said only:
"Kunwei Heaven is shaking violently. In recent years, many secret realms have fallen into disrepair. Most of them require Foundation Establishment to explore, but there are still some good things inside."

"Fellow Daoist, you should prepare early. This grotto-heaven is probably the most abundant and widespread blessing it has bestowed upon cultivators since the founding of the Great Li Kingdom. If you don't compete for it and others do, it may not be a good thing."

Upon hearing the other party mention this matter, Xu Xuan's gaze sharpened slightly, but he replied:

"At that time, may we discuss this with the nobles?"

"I'm afraid that's not possible."

Nan Wang looked somewhat doubtful, but at this moment he only said:

"By then, my clan will probably be transferred to be appointed under the Grand Preceptor. This official does not like the people of Shu. Fellow Daoist Xu, it would be best to make plans as soon as possible."

His tone was meaningful, and he immediately stood up and sighed:
"Let's not talk about this anymore. I want to see Shu Han. I've only seen a portrait of this child, I haven't seen him in person yet."

"He is extremely clever, talented, and has a good temperament."

Xu Xuan praised the child highly, which brought a smile to Nan Wang's face. The two of them rode the wind together and headed towards the location of Henghong Peak.

The first thunder of spring startled all the insects.

(End of this chapter)