Great Red Immortal Sect

Chapter 466: Survival
Yue Di, Taiping Mountain.

Night was deep, and a bright moon hung in the sky, its clear light bathing the mountains like a veil of white silk. Below, the vast expanse of Biyuan Lake was calm and still, the moon reflected in its waters, as bright as a jade disc.

The moonlight on Shengyun Peak was bright and clear, like frost spilling onto the ground. The aura of supernatural powers filled the heavens and earth, and the changing scenery of the Moon Pool Fairy Maiden made the moonlight even brighter and clearer.

From the cave atop the peak, a man in a moon-white robe slowly emerged. His face was dignified, and under the moonlight, he appeared even more otherworldly. Lü Guan rose with the wind, causing ripples to spread across the Biyuan Lake below, shattering the lake's clear light and making it sparkle like snow, while the bright moon in the sky appeared exceptionally full.

"The supernatural powers have been achieved."

Lu Guan was not particularly spirited; instead, a sense of sorrow rose in his heart. He rode the wind straight up and landed on the mountaintop. Beside him was a house and a pavilion built of grey sandalwood, which his grandfather had built years ago.

The void shattered, and golden-white divine light spread out, forming a thin golden shell on the ground. A man in a golden-white Taoist robe emerged, his face thin. He carried a long spiritual sword forged from copper ore, engraved with golden-white rhombus patterns, its brilliance restrained, its sword intent flowing.

"Father."

Upon seeing the newcomer, Lü Guan intended to greet him, but only heard the other person say in a gentle voice:

"Now that you have acquired supernatural powers, there is no need for further formalities."

This renowned sword immortal now had a gentle expression, no longer as solemn as before. He simply stood there, and his extremely terrifying Golden Victory Divine Power spontaneously activated, shining brightly in response to the heavens.

The two then entered the octagonal pavilion to the side and sat facing each other. They remained silent for a while before one of them spoke first. His voice was like metal and stone, resounding loudly on the ground.

"Now that you have completed the cultivation of the Shadow Maiden Pool, you may enter the cave heaven to cultivate from this day forward. I have already discussed this matter with the Great True Man, and the Su Shu Yin Xu Dao Jing can be formally taught to you. This method was passed down by the former True Man Wang Su and is taught in the cave heaven."

After a moment of contemplation, he sighed:
"However, the cultivation method of Guanghanque has been lost and the spiritual energy of Ruxiuye is lacking. You will have to make your own plans for them in the future. If there is too much turmoil outside the cave, there is no need to search for it. Preserving yourself is the most important thing."

“Father, I do not wish it to be this way.”

Lu Guan looked deeply puzzled and said in a deep voice:
"Is the purpose of cultivating this Taiyin technique merely to avoid disaster by taking advantage of the prestige of Wangsu Zhenjun? Once you enter the grotto heaven, according to the rules, it will be difficult to leave in this lifetime. Lü Guan can certainly cultivate in seclusion and focus on supernatural powers, but he cannot bear to see his grandfather caught in the chaos, his sword broken outside."

"Back then, Father—"

Before he could finish speaking, he stopped the other party. This sword immortal had a solemn expression, and golden light danced around him, as if the blue sky were above and Xuanqi was treading the air.

"When the lord abdicated, turmoil broke out in the mountains. Who can be blamed for that?"

This single sentence defined the nature of what had happened back then, silencing Lü Guan. If the topic of the turmoil were to be discussed, a shadow would gradually fall over the heart of this newly promoted Master of Taiping Mountain.

Of the seven sects, only Taiping Mountain is certain that its leader has perished. Unlike Shangxiao and Qinghua, which have lost their responses, the loss of the position of the [Zhige] True Lord is a fact, but the cultivators simply do not discuss it.

More than two hundred years ago, all gold-related items in the world lost their luster, gold carving became difficult, and the year brought great cold. The grotto-heaven shook and was on the verge of collapse, but the magical treasures refined by the True Lord within it escaped on their own.

Since then, Dui Jin has not produced many offspring, leading some cultivators to speculate that the True Lord perished in his pursuit of the Dao. Indeed, the decline of Dui Jin was too alarming; such a sign would never have occurred if the Jin position had not collapsed.

His grandfather, Lü Zhao, was then cultivating the Dui Jin sect and was at the center of the power struggle in the mountains. In a fit of anger, he abandoned his immortal foundation, stepped out of the mountain gate, and disappeared without a trace.

After his grandfather mastered the sword intent and cultivated supernatural powers, he returned to the mountains. However, his descendants perished due to power struggles, leaving only Lü Guan in the mountains to be protected by the Qing clan. What followed was the killing of the Qing clan, leaving only the Qing clan in the mountains, and even some Zifu members perished.

“Lu family, protecting one of your bloodlines is enough. Whether I survive or not is not important.”

Lu Zhao's eyes were burning, as if he was recalling the past. The sword behind him kept ringing. He was not yet three hundred years old, but he was still at the late stage of the Purple Mansion realm.

This achievement was made despite his self-inflicted setbacks and incomplete cultivation techniques. Had he not faced these setbacks, he could probably have broken through to the late stage before the age of two hundred, making him arguably the most talented individual in Taiping Mountain in recent history.

"After the fall of Kunwei, the real war with Liao will begin. The Liao emperor will not stand by and watch the Song family succeed, and the Song family, having been suppressed for a long time, should launch a counterattack. At that time, the mountains will probably not be peaceful."

After pondering for a while, Lü Zhao sighed:

“You cultivate the Yin, and according to the old laws, you are not involved in these worldly affairs. As long as you live in the cave, you will be free from misfortune.”

"Father—"

"No need to say anything more. You have just mastered supernatural powers and need to enter the cave to meet the Great Master. Go and make preparations first."

Lü Zhao's voice grew deeper, leaving Lü Guan speechless. He could only agree and walk out of the pavilion, then turned back and respectfully said:

“I only wish that when my father has the opportunity to witness the ceremony, I will surely emerge from the grotto to come and observe the ceremony.”

"China Securities Finance Corporation?"

A strange light shone in Lü Zhao's eyes, but he simply shook his head, letting the heir leave first. The moonlight flickered, and he was left alone in the pavilion.

A pale golden light surged, and from opposite the bluestone table and chairs, a young man dressed in the same golden and white Taoist robe appeared. He had a handsome face, slightly open eyes, and a smile on his lips, giving people a sense of danger and profundity.

"Qing Tangying, what brings you here?"

Lu Zhao's voice was sharp and clear as he directly stated the man's real name. The Qing clan was the main clan in the mountains, and there were currently two Zifu (purple palace) officials governing the area. Coincidentally, this generation's Daoist name also began with the character Qing. "Senior brother's cultivation surpasses gold, which is the Dao of Qian Tian Quan Yang. He should be able to accept without fighting and kill without offending. However, at this moment, the murderous intent in his heart is gradually filling up. I'm afraid this is not a good thing."

Qingyue squinted, as if she hadn't woken up yet, and spoke in a low voice.

"The path of gold exchange is about reform and persuasion, stirring up the political landscape. But what about you? Your cousin also benefited from the struggle against Liao, and his cultivation progressed smoothly, eventually reaching the Purple Peak. But you're stuck in the mountains, what have you accomplished?"

Lu Zhao's tone grew increasingly solemn. He flicked his sleeve and stood up, his sword intent becoming even more fierce, like the sun hanging in the sky, making people's hearts tremble.

But Qingyue, standing to the side, remained unmoved by these words and calmly replied:

"After the fall of Zhou, Dui was in charge of the political and legal reforms. Those who reformed it mostly met the fate of being torn apart by five horses, having their tongues pulled out and eyes gouged out. Most of the traitors throughout history started from this point, which is why the king was displeased. He changed the name of [Xingge] to [Taiping], and after years of regulation, Emperor Li was finally able to tolerate it."

Qingyue's tone seemed angry, but upon closer listening, no emotion was apparent. Although this person looked young, he was actually quite old, nearly the same age as the previous one, yet he had been stuck in the middle stage.

"Now that the patriarch has lost his position, in the future struggle between Liao and the imperial family, there will be a time when I will be compelled to come out of seclusion. I will naturally have to come out of seclusion."

“You are not the only one in the world who is constrained by circumstances. The matter of Donghua requires you to go, but Kunwei is about to fall, and this matter will fall on my shoulders. The possibility of dying on the frontier in the future is about the same as your death in the cave.”

Undoubtedly, upon hearing this, his expression did not change much. The golden aura around him gradually filled the void. He cleaved through the void and went straight inside, leaving only the remnants of sword energy in the room.
-

Luoqing, Henghong.

It was the beginning of autumn, the sky was high and the clouds were light, the mountains were full of red and yellow colors, with layers of withered leaves piled up, and the long rainbow that used to hang at the top of the peak had disappeared due to the autumn wind.

At the summit, a man in blue robes stood, his robes fluttering in the wind, and silver currents swirling on the sword at his waist, captivating the soul. Behind him stood a man as tall as an iron tower.

The opponent was dressed in black robes, with a rugged appearance and a tall stature. He carried a large, black-gold spear on his back, within which divine lightning condensed and transformed into a brilliant purple-gold light.

"Is the Abbot of Zijin Temple currently in seclusion?"

Liu Xingfang gazed westward, seemingly able to see the Shenyong Mountain where golden lightning streaked across the sky. The Zijin Temple was located in Chonghua, with Yinlei Mountain behind it. The temple master, Xin Yuanchang, had also reached the peak of Foundation Establishment after many years and was about to break through to the Divine Power stage.

"Indeed, when I left the seclusion to bid farewell, I intended to thank this abbot, but judging from what his disciple said, he is probably in the process of achieving supernatural powers."

Qi Zhengyi's brows furrowed. Although he was usually reckless, this matter was important, and he dared not speak rashly. The appearance of another Purple Mansion cultivator around the mountain gate would inevitably affect the situation.

"This Abbot Xin is highly skilled in Taoism. He was one of the top Foundation Establishment cultivators in Chonghua County back then, cultivating divine thunder, specifically the [Capital Thunder Punishment]." Liu Xingfang turned to look at the other person, "You cultivate the [Purple Gold Serpent], which is also divine thunder. How is your experience cultivating this path?"

Upon hearing this, Qi Zhengyi's thick eyebrows furrowed slightly, and his expression became somewhat solemn.

"Divine Thunder is the only one among the Five Thunders that can transform matter, and it is also the fastest of all thunders. Cultivating this path only makes one feel that one is making progress day by day. In fact, the power of the same Divine Thunder has increased slightly over the years."

"That's strange."

Liu Xingfang seemed to be deep in thought. Although there was no master in the Divine Thunder Sect now, its nature had changed. It was clearly the influence of the Golden Position. This path was showing signs of becoming more and more prosperous.

"With the divine thunder rising daily and the Ding fire flourishing, you and Yi Wan have successfully broken through, thanks to the favorable timing."

His gaze sharpened as he looked at the newly promoted Foundation Establishment cultivator in the sect, pondering for a moment.

"Now that you have achieved Foundation Establishment, you should naturally be assigned responsibilities again. Senior Brother Xiaowen is currently in seclusion, and the cultivators guarding Qing are only under the care of Protector Liang. You can go and help him with his affairs."

"Yes."

When Qi Zhengyi heard that his senior brother was in seclusion, he was slightly surprised. The achievement of supernatural powers was of great importance. If he could succeed, the future structure of the sect would surely change.

He then retreated, transforming into a streak of golden lightning and fleeing straight towards the Shouqing Camp on the banks of the Li River.

At the summit, only the man in blue stood alone. He gripped his sword, his gaze sharp as lightning as he looked into the distance.

"Supernatural powers."

Liu Xingfang sighed softly. He was now close to the completion of the Foundation Establishment stage and had naturally thought about this matter. However, the "Outline of the Heavenly Punishment of Calamity" was so difficult to comprehend that it was almost impossible to understand.

The sect leader used to rely on the changes in the Big Dipper's position to sense the Earthly Thunder, but Liu Xingfang was unable to sense the stars of the Big Dipper, so naturally he could not take this path, not to mention that his immortal foundation is still the [Heart of Calamity Pool], only transformed into Earthly Nature, not the [Heavenly Tribulation].

If he desires supernatural powers, he must find a Purple Mansion cultivation method based on the [Heart-Crushing Pool], but he does not know where to find such a lineage.

"Is the 'Zhenyao Inquiry Method' transmitted from Mount Jian in the North Sea? Is it possible that I will have to go to this mountain to seek it in the future?"

A thought stirred within him, and his immortal foundation resonated with heaven and earth, filling the space with silver lightning that concealed his form.

(End of this chapter)