Please call me Dadaozu

Chapter 329 The Fall of an Old Friend, Breakthrough (4000)

After years of refinement, the Body Refining Method has finally completed half of its journey.

Since he began cultivating the Nine Tribulations Thunder Body, Zhang Yuanzhu has been clear that this method is completely different from the Dragon Elephant Mighty Method.

This is a path of body refinement that is explosive and rapid, starting from the inside out. Every step must be taken with caution, otherwise irreversible injuries may result.

Now, the blood tempering is complete, and the blood throughout the body is like purple-gold thunder liquid. The five internal organs, bones, and blood in the body are connected as one, and the purple blood flows and spreads throughout the mountains and rivers.

Zhang Yuanzhu speculated that if all nine levels of body refinement were completed, the physical body alone might be able to tear through space.

The young man was lost in thought, and all sorts of ideas came to mind.

However, these distracting thoughts were quickly cut off.

He began to ponder the next step in body tempering—tendon tempering: Devouring spirit to forge meridians, tendons transformed into purple glaze.

The fifth level of the Body Refinement Method requires secret medicine to temper the meridians throughout the body until they transform into a purple, glassy state before it can be considered a success.

"Secret medicine?"

Zhang Yuanzhu frowned slightly, pondering the records in the Body Refining Method.

A secret medicine is made by combining thundercloud grass and lightning-struck wood, which is then ingested and refined.

Both lightning-struck wood and thundercloud grass are spiritual plants that grow in areas with perennial thunderstorms or on lightning-attribute spiritual veins. The Scorching Sun Dharma Vein has no reserves of them.

The young man had no choice but to head to the Azure Thunder Dharma Lineage.

Boom!Boom!Boom!
A knock on the door outside the cave interrupted the young man's thoughts.

So eager?

Zhang Yuanzhu seemed to realize something, stood up, and strode out of the cave.

Crunch!

The stone gate swung open, and as I stepped out, a burly man with his upper body bare came into view.

"Elder Gong, what happened?"

"Yuanzhu, Elder Huo wants to see you."

The burly man wore a sorrowful expression, his arms hanging naturally at his sides.

"lead the way!"

Before the words had even finished, Elder Gong had already started walking, quickly heading towards the mountain peak.

The young man, carrying a long, gleaming white ruler, followed closely behind.

Before the time it takes to drink a cup of tea was up, the two arrived before the palace complex. Elder Gong pointed to the open door and whispered:

"If Elder Huo is looking for you alone, then I will not disturb you."

Zhang Yuanzhu nodded, strode forward, crossed the crimson corridor, and entered the hall.

The main hall was dimly lit, with flickering candlelight casting a faint glow. An elderly man with gray hair and a weak breath sat cross-legged at the foot of the steps.

Amidst the gloom and decay, the flame of life flickers like a few scattered stars.

Old Huo is going to die!

Zhang Yuanzhu stopped at the threshold, his mind filled with complex emotions.

Since I began practicing Taoism, the old man before me has been of great help, and I can call him a half-teacher.

Unfortunately, he was powerless to change matters of life and death.

Ta-ta-ta~
The crisp sound of footsteps echoed through the hall as a crimson figure strode in.

With each step he took, a ray of light was added to the dimly lit hall, until the young man arrived before Elder Huo.

The entire hall was bright, airy, and dazzling.

"It's Yuanzhu!" A gentle voice came from the old man.

Huo Lao pointed to the prayer mat in front of him and smiled with difficulty:
"Sit down quickly."

Zhang Yuanzhu sat cross-legged, carefully observing the old man, his eyes rippling with emotion.

Old Huo lowered his hand and placed it on his knee, his face filled with apology:

"I, an old Taoist priest, did not intend to disturb your seclusion."

"But before I leave, I still want to see you and tell you some things, otherwise I will have regrets."

"It's just practicing some techniques, there's no disturbance at all."

The young man shook his head and gently stroked the measuring ruler with his five fingers.

"What instructions do you have, senior? This disciple is ready to listen."

The old man's eyes were cloudy, but he tried his best to look at the figure in front of him, and a look of relief flashed deep in his eyes.

"In my life, I have made two correct decisions. One is to select Zijing from the lineage and nurture him with all my might."

Secondly: At the pinnacle of the main lineage, acting solely on impulse, you slew the disciple who colluded with Chu Yun, thus protecting you.

“Yuanzhu, your talent is extraordinary, your character is strong, and you value your promises over life and death. In my more than two hundred years of cultivation, this is the first time I have seen a cultivator like you.”

After a pause, Elder Huo straightened his body with difficulty, a glimmer of clarity flashing in his eyes:
"If you are on the righteous path, or in the Boundless Palace, you have nothing to worry about. Schemes and tricks will never affect you."

"Unfortunately, this is Immortal Weapon Valley. Rather than a sect, it's more like thirty-six Qi Condensation Dao lineages plus seven Golden Core Dao lineages, sticking together for warmth."

"No one outside of the Yi Xing Dao Clan knows how much scheming, planning, and strategy were involved."

Zhang Yuanzhu gently gripped the long ruler with his five fingers, feeling the warmth emanating from his fingertips.

He could naturally sense the undercurrents within the sect and knew that the situation had deteriorated to the extreme; otherwise, Ye Jinxian would not have faked his death to escape and jump out of the Immortal Soldier Valley.

However, escaping was never his choice, neither the promise he made to the stars nor his own path.

"Senior need not worry too much. Only by bathing in the most intense flames can the most brilliant metal be forged. This applies to spiritual iron as well as the path of immortality."

"For me, the sect is both a calamity and an opportunity."

Zhang Yuanzhu spoke gently and slowly.

"You!"

The old man chuckled, realizing that this was indeed the temperament of his own disciple.

He then began to recount his observations of the seven major meridians since beginning his cultivation, hoping to help the young man.

“Tai Ri and Paper Man, you must be careful, they are definitely hostile to you; Yi Xing’s lineage has been acting very strangely since your return, so be careful as well; Sword Sect and Beast Taming seem to be loyal to their sects and the big picture.”

"As for the Refining Weapons and Blood Sea lineages, they have always been shrouded in mystery. Even I, an old Taoist, have only met disciples of these two lineages a few times, so I don't know where to begin."

Zhang Yuanzhu gently tapped his forehead.

"I understand, I'll be more careful in the future."

As the final matters were settled, Huo Lao's energy and spirit rapidly declined. His spiritual platform in his dantian trembled violently, cracking and breaking. His spiritual consciousness dimmed, and his blood and qi began to dry up.

The old man tremblingly raised his hand, his five fingers spread open, revealing two orbs of light.

A transparent fruit the size of a longan and a small, crimson boat floated up and down in the ball of light.

"It would be too wasteful for me to use the Longevity Fruit; you can take it back."

"The Blazing Sun Warship is also a sect's secret treasure. Since your flying boat is damaged, you can use this warship from now on."

With a wave of his hand, two orbs of light floated down in front of the young man.

Zhang Yuanzhu remained silent, unsure of what to say for a moment.

He sensed the old man's waning vitality and knew that feeding him the longevity fruit now would be of little use.

He raised his arm, grabbed the two orbs of light, and collected them.

After the young man accepted the gift, Huo Lao smiled and waved his hand.

"Yuanzhu, go. Let the old Taoist face the final moments alone."

Zhang Yuanzhu stood up, his expression solemn.

Bow with hands clasped!
"Goodbye, senior!"

He turned around and walked outside.

Huo Lao leaned back, resting on the stone steps, watching the receding figure.

As he was about to disappear, he whispered his last words:
"Everything can be discarded, and the Daoist lineage is no exception. As long as you are alive, the Zhuoyang lineage will not perish."

Chi Ying paused slightly, then continued walking as before, leaving the main hall.

For a moment, only Elder Huo remained in the hall, leaning against the stone steps.

The old man's eyes were cloudy, and all his past memories flashed through his mind.

The ignorance of childhood, the high spirits of youth, the despair of young adulthood, the ecstasy of reaching the Foundation Establishment stage in middle age, and the despair of being stuck at the sixth level of Foundation Establishment in old age.
"In my life, I have witnessed all walks of life, and I am finally able to be buried in my homeland. I have no regrets!"

Fire Elder whispered, a smile appearing on his face, his aura dissipating completely.

slap~
Head bowed, body dies and the Dao dissipates.

After an unknown amount of time, a tall, slender figure walked in from outside the palace, put away the corpse of the Fire Elder, and headed towards the back mountain.

Behind Mount Tai, inside the ancestral hall of the sect, a new tomb has been added.

Zhang Yuanzhu stood before the new grave, gazing at the blank tombstone, and slowly traced his finger across it.

Stab! Stab!
Stone chips flew, revealing lines of writing etched on the stone tablet: 'Tomb of Huo Fei, Grand Elder of the Zhuoyang Daoist Lineage, erected by his disciple Zhang Yuanzhu!'

Zhang Yuanzhu gazed silently at the grave, his mind filled with complex emotions.

An old friend has passed away!
I don't know how much time passed, but I took out two cups of tea, poured one in front of the monument, and drank the other.

"Senior, I'm leaving!"

A gentle breeze blows, leaves dance in the air, blurring the receding figure.

As news of the death of the Grand Elder of the Zhuoyang lineage spread, a faint sadness enveloped the entire lineage.

Zhang Yuanzhu sat cross-legged inside the cave and began his seclusion.

The person is gone, and we cannot look back; we can only move forward.

In the blink of an eye, streaks of light floated in front of him, and when the light faded, five metal fragments were revealed.

Each fragment carries a sharp edge, causing ripples to appear in the space.

"A sword intent at the Condensation Realm is quite a good whetstone."

Zhang Yuanzhu spoke softly, reaching out his hand to grasp the fragment.

stab~
Purple-gold blood dripped down his palm, revealing a narrow, elongated knife wound.

In the blink of an eye, the flesh began to move and the wound healed.

At the same time, a mountain of knives, stretching to the sky and reaching the earth, appeared in his mind. Its sharpness was unparalleled, and its brilliance was even greater than that of a glazed pagoda.

roar~
A dragon's roar shook space and time.

A crimson dragon appeared, its body enormous, plunging straight into an unfathomable, dark place, its end nowhere in sight.

The dragon's head is downward, majestic and noble, looking down at the mountain of knives.

The crimson scales clanged and jingled, like thousands of long swords vibrating.

This is his knife!

kill!

The crimson dragon roared and swooped down.

The sword light that filled the surroundings exploded all at once, and the entire mountain of swords trembled.

A dazzling flash of light slashed upwards, sparking sparks on the scales and even tearing through them, leaving streaks of blood.

Sword intent versus sword intent, divine mountain versus giant dragon, traversing space in an instant.

They collided violently.

Sizzle! Roar! Bang!

Scales flew, the sacred mountain collapsed, and endless sword light scattered everywhere.

Finally, the crimson dragon coiled around the mountain of knives, its blood flowing and staining the mountain red, as if it wanted to crush the mountains and rivers.

stab~
The sacred mountain trembled slightly, transforming into a long, all-encompassing blade that instantly tore the crimson dragon apart.

"Great, let's do it again!"

Zhang Yuanzhu whispered.

The Crimson Dragon Blade Intent burst forth, charging towards the Mountain of Blades once more.

A dragon and a mountain clashed, and he constantly absorbed the essence of the sword, comprehending its principles and truths, thereby improving his own swordsmanship.

The five fragments became his whetstones.

Time flies, and looking back, ten days have passed.

At this moment, Zhang Yuanzhu sat cross-legged on the ground, his body exuding wisps of sword energy, revealing his sharp edge.

In my mind, a red dragon coiled around the sacred mountain, its head gazing at the sky.

The divine mountain and the red dragon's energy intertwined and merged into one.

"Knife!"

The pagoda trembled slightly and emitted a rumbling sound.

In an instant, the sacred mountain trembled, and the crimson dragon roared.

Then, the two rapidly shrank, transforming into a long sword wrapped with dragon patterns.

Zhang Yuanzhu smiled and nodded in satisfaction.

Ten days of honing my skills have yielded good results.

With a thought, the long sword in his mind dissipated, and he looked forward, focusing on what was in front of him.

Five fragments floated in the air, dull and lifeless, lacking their original sharpness.

He flicked his sleeve and collected the fragments.

Then, he took out the meteorite core and placed it in his abdomen, and began to fully circulate the "Purple Lightning and Green Frost Record".

Half a year has passed since he broke through to the third level of Foundation Establishment. In addition, he has consumed rare and precious materials such as the Thunder Core, and he has completed most of the journey to the third level of Foundation Establishment.

Zhang Yuanzhu was prepared to seize the moment and step into a new realm, thus preparing for the future situation.

Strands of lightning generated from his abdomen, entered his dantian, and were refined into magical power.

Deep within his soul, the [Special Ability] of Moving Mountains and Controlling Ridges erupted, and streams of spiritual energy surged forth from the land for dozens of miles.

He was completely immersed in his cultivation, and his power was increasing every second.

Day after day, month after month.

This has always been the case; there has never been any slackening.

Two months later.

A crimson figure sat cross-legged, its body shrouded in streaks of lightning, with only a pair of clearly visible pupils that swirled with life and destruction.

It was a profound and moving experience.

Zhang Yuanzhu sensed his dantian and clearly felt that he was only half a step away from reaching the end of the third level of Foundation Establishment.

The palm slowly extended, the five fingers spread, and the precious fruit wrapped in azure lightning appeared in the palm.

The Thunder Gathering Fruit, a precious medicine obtained from the border herb garden, will pave the way for the final stage of Foundation Establishment.

Without hesitation, he raised his hand and swallowed the precious medicine in one gulp.

In an instant, it felt as if a bolt of lightning had entered my mouth, sending a tingling, numb sensation towards my dantian.

buzz~
His mind trembled, his magical power surged rapidly, and gradually a sense of perfection welled up in his heart.

"Breaked through!"

Zhang Yuanzhu snorted softly.

Raise both arms and form a mudra.

boom!
The three spiritual platforms trembled simultaneously, and phantom images of divine beasts appeared, standing in different directions, roaring towards the sky.

The magical power surged and churned like a vast ocean, spreading out and filling every corner of the dantian.

Then, it flowed upwards towards the top of the spirit platform.

A blurry, illusory figure gradually emerged and settled on the third-level spiritual platform.

As time passed, the phantom became more and more real, emanating streaks of lightning.

The Yin-Yang Jade Tree stands above, its branches and leaves trembling slightly, and rays of light descend, accelerating the formation of the spiritual platform.

An incense stick has burned out!

An hour has passed!

Three hours have passed!

My mind jolted slightly.

boom!
The fourth level of the spiritual platform is revealed, situated on top.

In an instant, the invisible shackles broke, and a torrent of magical power was generated, continuously rising.

At this moment, his flesh, internal organs, muscles and bones all begin to transform, advancing towards a higher level.

Within his mind, the seven-story pagoda trembled violently, and streams of spiritual consciousness surged forth, causing the pagoda to rise and change.

This is a comprehensive transformation, a holistic enhancement of the three treasures: essence, energy, and spirit.

Zhang Yuanzhu sensed the changes within himself and a smile appeared on his lips.

Foundation Building Level 4!

In less than four years, he has completed more than half of the first stage of Foundation Establishment. Such an achievement and such a speed of cultivation surpasses that of ancient and modern times.

And this is the result of cultivating essence, energy, and spirit simultaneously.

"What bullshit scheming, what planning and plotting? One day, you'll smash the chessboard."

"I hate playing chess."

The young man spoke to himself, as if responding to the words of an old friend.

(End of this chapter)