Great Red Immortal Sect

Chapter 457 Daozi
Outside Qingchen Reef.

Amidst rolling waves and surging thunderclouds, two figures stood on the sea.

The earth shimmered with a greenish-yellow light, and countless talismans rose into the air, transforming into talisman soldiers. They charged forth with the desolate light of the desert, while talismans descended from the sky, accompanied by surging winds and thunder, which manifested as various ominous signs, foreshadowing chaos and rampant banditry throughout the land.

When the two clashed, the desolate light of magic swept over, carrying talismans, like a locust swarm passing by, easily breaking through the opponent's wind and thunder.

A figure slowly emerged from the light of the earth's magic. He had bright yellow eyes, a slender build, and a black robe that seemed to conceal something other than flesh and blood, as if a demonic nature was hidden within.

"Fellow Daoist Lin Lang, you flatter me."

A young man descended from the thunderclouds, dressed in a long robe with blue cloud and thunder patterns. He possessed an otherworldly air, a lean face, and held a wooden sword in his hand. He shook his head and smiled:
"I have been cultivating in the cave for twenty years, studying talismans and mastering many of the sect's classics, but I am still a step behind you, fellow Daoist."

His voice carried a hint of bitterness. Shangxiao was renowned for his mastery of talismans, and Lin Lang had come here from a grotto-heaven, following the boat-traveling immortal.

Even though he wasn't a Purple Mansion seed, he was still the Foundation Establishment cultivator with the highest cultivation level here, and in terms of combat, he was much stronger than Elder Lin Yu.

However, when it came to competing with the person in front of him in the art of talismans, he had lost more often than he had won. He had been somewhat unconvinced at first, but now he could hardly win a single battle.

Xu Fayan didn't say much. The other party was simple-minded and often came to discuss talismans with him. He naturally went with the flow, and they both benefited from each other's progress. He didn't have any scheming intentions.

The True Person of Shangxiao Sect is not far away. To play tricks right under the nose of Zifu is not just bad, but stupid.

Lin Lang sighed, but quickly recovered. He felt less anger and more admiration and shame.

The other party's background was inferior to his, yet he was able to go much further in the art of talismans; it must be because he had become complacent.

The two landed on an island off a reef. Some green trees had grown there at some unknown time, and the air was filled with a strong yang energy, like a gentle spring breeze.

"Fellow Daoist Lin's immortal foundation does have some similarities with my earth element."

Xu Fayan spoke at this moment, saying that the path of earth can bring about a bumper harvest or a famine, and that it is a change obtained from the earth. It seems that the path of lightning cultivated by the other party can also be sensed through celestial phenomena, indicating good or bad fortune.

"My cultivation foundation is [Serious Vision], also known as [Winter Thunder Reversal]. When there is a transgression, heaven and earth will show abnormalities, which is the reversal of heavenly thunder, which goes against the order of time and causes chaos everywhere. It is a sign of the loss of virtue by those in power and the inconstancy of laws and regulations."

Lin Lang, of extraordinary birth and possessing a profound understanding of the Dao of Thunder and Lightning, could only sigh:

"If the King of Chu worships ghosts and gods, and the Emperor of Zhao bestows the title of Jialan, and Feng Zong defies the natural order, then when there is chaos in the human world, Heaven will respond accordingly. This is the interaction between Heaven and Man through the Dao of Thunder."

"When heaven and man interact, it can be auspicious, ominous, or a sign of the season; this is the function of thunder in the sky."

Xu Fayan silently speculated that this sect was extraordinary because a True Lord had appeared there. The Shangxiao sect was also very close to the Song family, and there were even rumors that the sect's grotto-heaven housed the position of the Li Emperor.

Lin Lang looked over and saw that the other party possessed an earth-based immortal foundation and a righteous Dao nature, which was something he had never seen before in his life, and he couldn't help but sigh.

"In the past, there was a Qingyang Palace in Shu, where people cultivated the Great Dao of Earth. Fellow Daoist, your Daoist skills are no different from those of the direct descendants of that family."

"Qingyang Palace, what is this?"

Xu Fayan's voice was subtly touched. Currently, the only true manifestation of the Earthly Daoist lineage is the Qingwu Dao, which is located on the frontier and has grudges against other sects. As for the Qingyang Palace, he had never heard of it.

"Fellow Daoist, your sect also originated in Shu, how come you are unaware of this lineage?"

Lin Langsheng sounded somewhat puzzled, but Xu Fayan simply shook his head. The sect had long since lost all its records of the past, so how would he know these things?

"This path was originally a temple, established during the Zhou Dynasty, where imperial descendants sought refuge. Later, an imperial edict elevated it to a palace. During the Zhou Dynasty, several True Lords of the Earthly Dao were stationed there. Later, it declined and perished with the Shu Kingdom."

"Among the omens of the earth, the sheep spirit is the foremost, hence the name."

Xu Fayan remained calm, but he silently kept it in mind. Apart from Qingwu Dao, this branch of Qingyang Palace might also be the path to his future.

As the two were talking, they saw a lone boat approaching from the direction of Qingchen Reef, drifting with the current towards where they were standing.

The trees on the island swayed, and a warm breeze blew. Xu Fayan felt a chill run down his spine as he saw the boat ahead like a blue sun half-submerged in the sea, its radiance obscuring the sky.

The illusion quickly dissipated, and a young man slowly emerged from the small boat, dressed in a Taoist robe of wind and thunder, with a golden-white mysterious pattern between his brows. This person had an exceptionally handsome appearance; at first glance, his features seemed shrouded in mist, making them difficult to see clearly. One could only sense that his demeanor was like that of a banished immortal, his aura like the morning sun, and his eyes like bright stars, making one dare not look directly at him.

On the boat, the falling leaves of trees transformed into various strange phenomena such as a blue ox, a catalpa tree, a white deer, and a pine tree, all of which vanished as the young man rose.

At this moment, Xu Fayan felt a subtle stirring within the seal script within his body, causing him to feel uneasy and uncertain about the origin of the person before him. Lin Lang, standing to the side, stiffened upon seeing the newcomer.

'Is he afraid? No, is he in awe?'

"Senior Brother Lin Lang."

The young man stepped off the boat with natural movements, and his aura of immortality was faintly leaking out, suggesting that he had recently broken through. However, his imposing presence was even greater than that of Lin Lang and Xu Fayan.

'This is? ’

For the first time in his life, Xu Fayan felt this perplexing and unsolvable emotion.

He once thought he was an oddball, but the person in front of him was almost a monster. Just by standing there, he was like the spring sun shining down on the world.

"Junior Brother Ruan Yuan, congratulations on emerging from seclusion and establishing your immortal foundation. But why did you come out of the hall?"

Lin Lang replied respectfully, his posture more like that of someone meeting an elder than a junior brother, showing great restraint.

"After I mastered the [Azure Sun Radiance], my master allowed me to leave the palace to travel and hone my cultivation."

Ruan Yuan spoke with a hint of a smile, then turned his gaze to another person.

"Who is this?"

Lin Lang stepped forward, his posture extremely humble, and said respectfully:

"This is Xu Fayan, the master of Changliu Island, and also a disciple of the Great Red Temple's Sword Immortal of Exorcism."

As she spoke, Lin Lang looked at Xu Fayan, who was standing to the side, and introduced him as well:
“Fellow Daoist Fayan, this is Ruan Yuan, a direct descendant of the True Man, a Daoist disciple of our sect. He spends most of his time cultivating in the hall and rarely goes out.”

A young man named Ruan Yuan stepped forward, his eyes burning, the golden and white markings between his brows gleaming, echoing the sun and heralding the arrival of spring.

A gentle, warm breeze swept across the island, making it even more vibrant with life. However, Xu Fayan felt increasingly uncomfortable, as the seal script within his body vibrated violently.

"So you are a disciple of the Sword Immortal. I have long admired you. I have heard that the Sword Immortal of the Thunder Sect in the Li Kingdom is renowned far and wide. You must be my master, fellow Daoist?"

Ruan Yuan's tone was quite respectful, which surprised Xu Fayan, who simply replied:

“He is indeed my teacher.”

The other person's gaze held a scrutinizing quality, yet it also felt somewhat familiar, giving Xu Fayan a sense of closeness, which felt extremely strange.

'The Daoist Master of the Upper Heavens cultivates not Heavenly Thunder, but Primordial Wood?'

If we were to talk about the Foundation Establishment cultivators that Xu Fayan had ever seen, the person in front of him was undoubtedly the most extraordinary, even Xu Xuan could not compare to him.

The young man in the black robe clad in the style of wind and thunder smiled, his gaze sweeping over her, and he said slowly:
"A sheep, or a locust?"

Xu Fayan's gaze was gloomy. When he met the person in front of him, his yellow eyes were dark and luminous, and a strange, demonic aura arose from them. A smile appeared on his lips.

"Daozi is indeed very knowledgeable."

Lin Lang was caught between the two, looking nervous and walking on thin ice. It was the first time he had ever seen Xu Fayan like this, as if he were a completely different person.

'I underestimated the Lord of Changliu Island.'

(End of this chapter)