Lingyuan Immortal

Chapter 1004 Tai Xuan Awakens
Beneath the plaque, the three characters "Zhenyou Pavilion" stood menacingly like a prison, their presence stirring a chill in everyone's eyes.

Just as Si Xuanshuang said, this place is by no means as simple as the legacy of a Golden Immortal.

They came seeking opportunities and good fortune; none of them wanted to be inexplicably tainted by any "unclean" karma originating from ancient times and involving the netherworld.

However, as the thought crossed their minds, everyone understood.

As they journeyed, slaying evil spirits and collecting yin essence, they even stepped into this ruin and pushed open the door of this pavilion. Unbeknownst to them, the threads of cause and effect had already bound them to their bodies, some deep, some shallow, and there was no way to avoid them.

After a brief silence, without needing to say anything more, everyone's eyes met, and they had already reached a tacit understanding.

"Let's go."

Si Xuan Shuang's voice broke the silence as she took a step forward, her sleeves fluttering slightly.

With a heavy, resonant creak, the pitch-black door of Zhenyou Pavilion, neither gold nor stone, slowly opened inward, revealing the deep darkness behind it.

The atmosphere inside the pavilion was chilly and the lighting was extremely dim, with only a faint, dim glow floating on the walls.

All of them possessed profound cultivation and extraordinary eyesight. Upon closer inspection, they saw that the left and right sides were empty, except for the towering walls on both sides, which were covered with huge murals.

The mural was not painted with pigments, but rather resembled some kind of intaglio or energy imprint, with ancient and weathered lines that conveyed a heavy sense of history.

Everyone's attention was instantly drawn to the mural.

The first layer of murals depicts the scene at the beginning of time, when the world was still in chaos. At that time, chaos surged and turbid air sank down, forming a boundless and lifeless "Netherworld Ruins".

Countless resentful spirits and ancient demons crawled out from the rifts in the Netherworld, wreaking havoc on the world, causing immense suffering and turning the earth into scorched earth...

A thought struck everyone: the mural might depict the origin of Zhenyou Pavilion.

They exchanged a glance, went up to the second floor, and indeed found something.

At the center of the second layer of murals appears a figure dressed in a dark Taoist robe, with a blurred face but an awe-inspiring presence.

He wielded a peculiar long spear wreathed in the chilling aura of the underworld, and was engaged in a fierce battle with a terrifying monster that stood tall and imposing, formed from countless vengeful spirits.

As the tiny seal characters that appeared around them appeared, everyone realized that this was the beginning of the "True Immortal of Zhenyou" establishing his sect and founding the "Zhenyou Daoist Lineage" on the edge of the Netherworld Ruins.

Next are the murals on the third to fifth layers, which depict the heyday of the Zhenyou Taoist lineage.

It depicts countless disciples practicing the secret method of suppressing the netherworld, wielding the power of yin and cold, and walking on the edge of the netherworld and the human world.

They set up a grand formation to seal the rift in the Netherworld, slay the evil spirits that wreaked havoc, and even ventured deep into the Netherworld to collect spiritual materials and refine magical treasures and elixirs.

The style of the murals gradually became solemn and dignified, demonstrating the order and power of a strong Taoist tradition.

Upon reaching the sixth layer of murals, the atmosphere of the scene abruptly changes, becoming disharmonious.

Some cultivators, deliberately depicted as having greedy and ferocious faces in the murals, were no longer satisfied with suppressing and sealing. They began to indulge in the imprisonment of powerful Yin spirits, refining evil magic power in order to achieve quick success, and even attempted to open a larger Netherworld passage to absorb a more terrifying Netherworld origin.

The murals on the seventh layer depict the disastrous consequences.

Those cultivators who attempted to control even more powerful Netherworld energy completely lost control. The Netherworld Passage, which had been forcibly opened, burst forth like a dam breaking, spewing out more violent and filthy Netherworld death energy and countless powerful demons than in ancient times, instantly engulfing the mountain gate of the Zhenyou Daoist lineage.

In the murals, once magnificent palaces have collapsed, the sacred mountain veins have been stained black, and countless disciples have been corrupted by death energy, torn apart by demons, and transformed into new vengeful spirits.

The entire Taoist tradition sank into utter darkness and despair, a shocking and chilling sight.

The eighth mural, which is also the last one, no longer depicts destruction, but rather a being shrouded in boundless radiance, with a blurred face yet majestic and vast as heaven and earth—the Cloud-Vast Golden Immortal.

He broke through the void and forcibly sealed and compressed the out-of-control Netherworld passage.

At the same time, an irresistible force "stripped" the "Zhenyou Pavilion" and its surrounding remaining, not yet fully polluted, earth vein foundations from their original world.

At the end of the mural, a black mountain and pavilion phantom, enveloped in a clear light, is held in a golden palm, which is casting it toward a vibrant paradise in the distance.

The mural aptly conveys the compassion and helplessness of the Golden Immortal. He did not completely destroy this tradition because the original intent of his Taoist teachings was not evil; it was only later generations who went astray.

Separating and sealing it within the newly formed grotto-heaven was both to prevent the spread of Netherworld pollution and to leave a glimmer of hope for the inheritance of this "Netherworld Suppression Lineage," hoping that future generations with the right affinity could extract its essence, discard its dross, and revive its original purpose of "guarding" rather than "plundering" the Netherworld...

After viewing the eight murals, everyone felt as if they had personally experienced an epic of rise and fall spanning ten thousand years, their minds resonating and remaining speechless for a long time.

Only when the mural ended and there was no more content did he exhale a long breath as if waking from a dream, and slowly nod, finally letting go of the worry in his heart about the "hidden danger".

“I see…” Murong Xi murmured softly, her tone filled with understanding and relief.

Fu Danian scratched his head: "Damn it, this Zhenyou Pavilion has quite a background, but it's also a bunch of unlucky guys who ruined themselves."

Si Tengxiao's brows relaxed slightly: "Fortunately, the Golden Immortal showed mercy and did not extinguish its lineage."

What they feared most was getting involved in some unspeakable ancient secret or forbidden karma at the Golden Immortal level, which would be tantamount to annihilation for them, cultivators from the lower realms.

In retrospect, although the Zhenyou Pavilion is involved with the Netherworld and has a heavy karmic burden, its rise and fall is clear. It was caused by internal strife that led to a backlash, and was eventually stripped and sealed away by a Golden Immortal.

Its inheritance itself has no great secrets to hide. The fact that the Golden Immortal placed it in the legacy also represents a kind of "recognition" and "selection".

Moreover, as the one who established the trial, the Nine Peaks Immortal Sect must have already investigated thoroughly, otherwise they would not have allowed their disciples to enter.

"The legacy of a true immortal lineage, though causally related, is still within a tolerable range."

Si Xuanshuang summarized the story in the mural and set the tone for it.

With opportunities ahead and dangers known and controllable, there is no need to be timid or hesitant.

"Let's go, to the ninth floor!" Fu Danian exclaimed with heroic spirit.

Without further hesitation, everyone climbed the ancient, spiraling staircase inside the Zhenyou Pavilion to the last floor.

Upon entering the ninth floor, the environment suddenly opened up.

In stark contrast to the cold and gloomy atmosphere of the previous eight floors, the dome here is inlaid with dozens of large pearls, emitting a soft and clear glow that illuminates the entire space as if it were daytime.

The center of the light focused on a flawless white jade round platform.

Above the jade platform, several beams of light flowed, and several items floated silently, emitting spiritual energy of varying strengths and attributes.

Everyone's gaze sharpened, knowing that the main event was about to begin. Upon closer inspection, on the edge of the jade platform, there was a piece of "Nine Netherworld Jade Marrow" that was entirely dark blue; a "Mysterious Yin True Qi" that was constantly changing shape and exuding the aura of the Taiyin origin; and several "Soul-Suppressing Ink Crystals" that were jet black and shiny with mysterious patterns naturally formed on their surface.

These three spiritual treasures are all top-tier materials rarely seen in the outside world, and they have miraculous effects on cultivating Yin-cold and soul-type techniques.

Normally, everyone would have been captivated by it, but when they saw what was left, they all forgot about it.

At the center of the jade platform are a broken immortal artifact, a scroll of Taoist magic for suppressing the netherworld, and a jet-black jade talisman.

First and foremost is the most eye-catching broken immortal artifact, a three-foot-long broken halberd, entirely black, with an ancient and ferocious design, extremely similar to the halberd held by the Zhenyou True Immortal in the mural, except that the head of the halberd is broken off and nearly a third of it is missing, which is extremely regrettable.

The Zhenyou Dao Fa was not particularly remarkable; its surface was covered with countless tiny dark gold runes that flowed slowly like living things, exuding a profound and mysterious aura.

Finally, the jade talisman is the most unique. It resembles a miniature black paperweight or an abstract token, and is carved entirely from a warm, understated, and deep black jade.

The jade talisman has no patterns on its surface, except for a naturally formed dark gold line running through the center from beginning to end.

The moment everyone's gaze fell upon the pitch-black jade talisman, a voice, seemingly emanating from the depths of the netherworld, resounded directly within the hearts of each person:
"Those who inherit my lineage and carry on my mantle shall bear the responsibility of suppressing the netherworld, upholding the order of Yin and Yang, and quelling the chaos of the netherworld. This cause and effect are intertwined and run through the entire process; to accept it is without regret, to turn away from it will surely bring disaster."

His voice was like a resounding bell, carrying an undeniable majesty and a heavy sense of destiny, conveying the will that "to inherit the legacy, one must bear the consequences."

In an instant, the atmosphere around the jade platform became subtle.

Everyone's gaze quickly shifted away from the black jade talisman, their expressions varied, but without exception, they all revealed an attitude of "respecting but keeping a distance".

Fu Danian grinned and muttered, "Goodness, this burden sounds terrifying; it's more tiring than carrying a mountain."

Murong Xi shook her head slightly. The Chaosheng Pavilion has a profound foundation and possesses a true immortal inheritance that points directly to the Great Dao. Why bother getting involved in this obviously troublesome Netherworld karma?

Si Xuanshuang's eyes were calm, showing little interest in the Zhenyou Daoist lineage.

Chen Mu glanced thoughtfully at the jade talisman. He could sense the immense and unique Yin-Yang Law power contained within it, but the Soul Ancestor Banner had its own path, and this item was not essential to him.

Even the Three Heroes of Cangshan, after experiencing the terrifying scenes in the murals and the warnings in their minds, completely gave up the idea of ​​inheriting this tradition.

Pang Yuanba's small eyes darted around the broken immortal artifact, his mouth practically watering. He quietly nudged Hou Tong and Zhu Mancang beside him, and whispered excitedly:
"Second brother, third brother, do you see that broken halberd? It's a celestial artifact! Even though it's broken, it's still a million times better than our scales and broken drum! I wonder if we can beg for it? Even just touching it a couple of times to absorb some of its celestial energy would be enough!"

Hou Tong and Zhu Mancang nodded repeatedly, their eyes filled with greed and hope.

Wei Cangdong was closest to the three of them and overheard their murmurs. He couldn't help but sneer inwardly, "Wishful thinking! They don't know their own limitations!"

In his view, the most precious things here were undoubtedly the scroll of the Daoist technique for suppressing the Netherworld, and the broken halberd, a celestial artifact whose power was terrifying even when incomplete.

These two items, barring any unforeseen circumstances, will undoubtedly belong to the most powerful Si family or Chaosheng Pavilion. How could you possibly covet them?

His gaze swept over the jade platform, and he also planned to see if he could win a piece of immortal material after Si Xuanshuang and Murong Xi made their selections.

But at that moment, Song Qin, who had been silent the whole way, suddenly became urgent and said in his mind, "Senior Brother Wei, I want that jade talisman!"

Wei Cangdong was taken aback, but then he realized something and said, "Junior sister, don't be in such a hurry. Is this thing useful to you?"

Song Qin's divine sense was filled with an indescribable longing and excitement: "It's it! I can feel it! Senior Brother Wei, I... I have a strong premonition that it... it might bring me a new life! A true opportunity for 'rebirth'!"

Wei Cangdong was delighted upon hearing this. Although he didn't know the connection between the Zhenyou Daoist lineage and the new students, since his junior sister had said so, he was willing to give it a try.
If my junior sister can truly be given a new lease on life, it will put my mind at ease.

"Alright! Don't worry, Junior Sister!" Wei Cangdong made a decision in an instant.

He took a deep breath, suppressing his excitement, and before everyone could begin discussing the distribution, he stepped forward and solemnly cupped his hands in greeting to Si Xuan Shuang, Murong Xi, and the others:

"Fellow Daoists, I have a request, but it is difficult for me to make. I wish to take this Zhenyou Inheritance Jade Talisman. I humbly request your permission!"

This statement surprised everyone.

Fu Danian frowned deeply. He had the deepest friendship with Wei Cangdong and knew that the other party was by no means a reckless and greedy person.

He couldn't help but whisper urgently, "Brother Wei, think it over! You've seen the murals and heard the warnings. The karma behind Zhenyou Pavilion is extremely heavy; it's definitely not a good thing! Is it worth risking your cultivation path and even your life for a True Immortal inheritance that you might not even be able to obtain?"

He thought that Wei Cangdong was taking such a risk in order to complete the mission of the Dongzhu Ancestor to find the true immortal's inheritance.

Wei Cangdong met Fu Danian's concerned gaze, feeling moved but unable to explain the truth.

“Brother Fu, I appreciate your kindness. As for this matter, my mind is made up. There are reasons for this, but I cannot explain them clearly for the time being. Please trust me this time and do not ask again.”

Seeing his resolute expression and the unspeakable difficulty in his words, Fu Danian opened his mouth, but in the end, he let out a helpless sigh, patted Wei Cangdong's shoulder heavily, and said nothing more.

Si Xuanshuang's gaze was icy as she lingered on Wei Cangdong's face for a moment, as if trying to discern something.

But Wei Cangdong's expression was calm and composed, with only the earnestness and determination deep in his eyes being exceptionally clear.

As the leader, she quickly weighed the options. Wei Cangdong had contributed a great deal along the way, and although his request was abrupt, it was not unreasonable to ask for only a jade talisman that seemed to be of the lowest value and that others clearly had no intention of getting their hands on, while giving up the competition for other items.

“Agreed.” Si Xuan Shuang’s voice broke the brief silence. “Fellow Daoist Wei has assisted us all the way. Since this jade talisman is important to you, it shall belong to you. We have no objection.”

Her gaze swept over Murong Xi, Fu Danian, and the others. Although they were puzzled, they all nodded in agreement.

"Thank you, Fellow Daoist Si! Thank you all, fellow Daoists, for your help!" Wei Cangdong felt a huge weight lifted from his heart and bowed deeply in gratitude.

Without further hesitation, he stepped forward, extended his right hand towards the black jade talisman in the center of the jade platform, and channeled his magic power to capture the void.

hum!
The uniquely shaped Zhenyou Token seemed to sense the summons. Its entire body flashed with a dark light, trembled slightly, and then transformed into a condensed black light. It instantly detached from the jade platform and landed steadily in Wei Cangdong's outstretched palm.

The jade talisman felt warm and smooth to the touch, yet it also possessed a weighty texture that seemed to penetrate the very soul.

Wei Cangdong gripped it tightly, as if he were holding onto his junior sister's future hope...

Chen Mu, who had been silently observing, took in all of this and seemed to be deep in thought.

Wei Cangdong's unusual behavior must have something to do with it. Just as he was pondering this, a familiar and long-lost voice rang out from the depths of his mind like a clear spring.

“Fellow Daoist Chen, he’s not doing this for himself, but for the primordial spirit of a little girl hidden in that Soul-Nourishing Jade on his body.”

Chen Mu paused almost imperceptibly, and in an instant, an indescribable joy welled up in his heart: "Fellow Daoist Tai Xuan?!"

……

(End of this chapter)