Lingyuan Immortal

Chapter 945 Fusheng Temple

Once Chen Mu had committed murderous intent, there was no reason for him to back down. He secretly activated his sword technique with his fingers and unleashed the "Six Ding Dispelling Calamity Sword" with a backhand.

A dazzling sword-like rainbow pierced the sky and startled the clouds, like white lightning splitting the heavens.

The protective aura surrounding Lu Daoren was as thin as silk being torn apart by a blade in an instant.

At the critical moment, a talisman suddenly appeared on his waist, its mysterious light condensing into a phantom image of the Eight Trigrams, barely managing to withstand the sword's force.

However, the divine sword energy was as cold as the ice of the Netherworld. The jade talisman was neatly sliced ​​in two amidst its mournful cry. The golden talisman sealed inside turned into a stream of light and instantly fled a hundred miles south.

Seeing this, Lu Daoren finally came to his senses, staggered backward, and seeing the flickering sword light above his head, he was terrified and shouted hoarsely:

"I am a disciple of the True Lord of Fusheng Temple. Just now, the golden talisman carried my life essence back to the sect. If you dare to kill me, my sect's elders will definitely not let you go!"

Chen Mu chuckled, and the divine sword light continued for a moment, then flashed and passed through his body through the Tanzhong acupoint.

Lu Daoren's eyes bulged out, and his protective nascent soul was shattered by the sword energy before it could leave his body. His remaining body crashed onto the green rock, splashing up a three-foot-long mist of blood.

Chen Mu glanced at it, then with a flick of his sleeve, he tidied up the area before descending onto Xingyun and landing in front of the mountain peak.

He looked around for a moment, then suddenly lifted himself into the air. The mountain-protecting array trembled, then its spiritual light faded, and it transformed into a palm-sized bronze array plate that fell into his palm.

"The concept of welfare..."

Chen Mu lowered his eyes to look at the array plate, silently recited the words on it, and after a moment of contemplation, he calmly accepted it. He then threw out dozens of array flags, which landed in the predetermined locations.

Before long, a faint white mist spread out, enveloping the area within a hundred miles.

Chen Mu nodded in satisfaction before stepping into the mountains.

As a blessed land with excellent feng shui, Huiyan Mountain has never been vacant for a single day in its thousand-year history. The spiritual essence accumulated by its owners over the generations has made the peaks even more beautiful and captivating.

The main peak is not particularly majestic, appearing only about a hundred feet high from a distance. It resembles a square platform carved from green jade, broad, stable, and heavy. Mist swirls around the mountainside, and occasionally, wild geese call out "quack quack," their calls clear and powerful.

But the most breathtaking sight is the shimmering lake nestled at the foot of the mountains, which resembles a glass mirror on an emerald tray.

A flash of inspiration appeared in Chen Mu's eyes, and he immediately leaped towards the lakeside.

Compared to the fierce winds in the mountains, the misty, moist environment here is indeed more suitable for nourishing the eggs of the blue duck.

He concentrated on observing the energy for a moment, then flipped his palm and summoned the jade bottle, pouring out all the sealed spiritual and demonic energies.

In an instant, the misty spiritual energy and demonic aura intertwined in the sky above the lake, forming purple and blue clouds.

Without stopping, Chen Mu conjured a high platform in the center of the lake with a flick of his sleeve, then placed the blue duck egg on it. With a thought, all the spiritual and demonic energies in the sky flowed like rivers into the sea, transforming into thousands of golden and silver threads that wrapped around the eggshell.

Gazing at the embryonic egg on the high platform, which shimmered like stars, his brow relaxed.

This primordial spirit, sealed away for millennia, is now finally nourished by the essence of heaven and earth. It is expected that within three to five years, this ancient spirit bird will hatch and appear in the world...

After observing for a long time, Chen Mu turned back to the mountainside, set up a quiet room, and then closed his eyes to regulate his breathing.

A few days later, he reached out and touched it, and several fifth-order Dao traces appeared in front of him, shimmering with a watery luster.

He paused briefly, and immediately Dao traces flew up, separating strands of water elemental power that flowed towards his body...

……

Zhuoguang Mountain is one of the three major spiritual veins of Qizhou, and the mountain gate and Taoist temple of Fusheng Temple are located here.

At this moment, inside the Xuanqiong Hall of the temple, three Taoist priests dressed in feathered robes and star-studded crowns sat upright.

At the head of the table was the abbot, Tao Fengbian, with the two elders of the sect, Yan Rongmu and Fu Danian, standing to his left and right respectively. All three had reached the Dao Inquiry Realm and were revered by the world as the "True Lord of Blessings and Three Talents".

Fu Danian, with his bushy beard and imposing figure like an iron tower, placed his massive, fan-like hands on his knees, his eyes flashing with a sharp, lightning-like light.

"The Liangyi Temple has become increasingly brazen lately! Not only have they frequently overstepped their bounds to collect Daoist seeds, but they have also falsely claimed that our temple's sages came from another school and that our lineage is inherited from them... This is intolerable! Senior Brother, you should make a decision as soon as possible!"

Tao Feng's dark, wide sleeves cascaded down the jade steps, and three long strands of beard moved without wind, his aura deep and imposing.

He had been in charge of the sect for over five hundred years since he attained enlightenment at the age of a thousand, so he was not as eager as his junior brother. At this moment, he simply said calmly, "The lineage and origins of the Dao have long been established. How can they be changed by the wild words of petty villains?"

Yan Rongmu stroked his silver beard and laughed, "Junior brother, why don't you follow his example? Just say that his Two Elements Temple's techniques all inherit the lineage of my Fusheng Temple, and use his own spear to attack his own shield. Wouldn't that be satisfying?"

Fu Danian raised his eyebrows and waved his hands repeatedly: "Senior Brother Yan, don't joke! I believe we are the orthodox lineage of the Xuanmen. If we were to engage in verbal battles with such petty villains, wouldn't that be beneath our dignity?"

Seeing that he was no longer in his usual playful and joking manner, Yan Rongmu put away his smile and asked seriously, "Junior brother, has something changed?"

Fu Danian sighed deeply, a look of worry appearing in his cloudy eyes: "Senior brother, do you still remember old man Qi Yunsu?"

"Qi Yunsu?"

Yan Rongmu's expression tightened: "Junior Brother, why did you suddenly bring up this person?"

Speaking of which, Qi Yunsu was a very famous person in Qizhou. Not only was his cultivation powerful, but he was also the abbot of the Liangyi Temple. However... that was more than a thousand years ago.

Back when the three of them were still disciples of Fusheng Temple, Qi Yunsu was already nearing the end of his life. Because he could not make any progress, he chose to go into seclusion for a long time.

Even now, five hundred years later, the world has likely forgotten this person's name, except for them...

"Junior brother has only heard rumors that Old Qi... seems to have already emerged from seclusion," Fu Danian said in a low voice.

"How can it be?!"

Yan Rongmu's pupils contracted, and he blurted out, "Wasn't he already nearing his end before he went into seclusion? How could he have held on until now..."

Before he could finish speaking, he realized and said, "Could it be that he... has made some progress?"

Fu Danian nodded: "Having experienced the fleeting beauty of life and attained a thousand years of life, Old Man Qi... has probably already reached the pinnacle of the Dao."

Yan Rongmu's face suddenly darkened, the playful look in his eyes vanished, and he murmured in a hoarse voice, "My Fusheng Temple has exhausted generations of effort yet still hasn't reached the threshold of perfect enlightenment, so how come the Liangyi Temple has such good fortune? Could it be that the destiny of Heaven has already changed..."

"Be careful!"

Tao Feng shouted a stern rebuke, his voice like thunder.

Yan Rongmu trembled violently, hurriedly closed his eyes and silently recited the Heart-Cleansing Mantra, his knuckles turning blue from gripping the mantra.

Tao Fengbian then turned to stare intently at Fu Danian, his expression stern as he questioned, "Junior Brother Fu, where did you learn of such a secret?"

As the abbot of Fusheng Temple, he was completely unaware of this matter. Upon hearing this, Fu Danian's throat tightened, and he stammered, "The other day, when I was drinking with Fellow Daoist Wei, he... he mentioned it briefly..."

Before he could finish speaking, Yan Rongmu, who had been meditating with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them: "Wei Cangdong is an elder of the Liangyi Temple. My senior brother and I have repeatedly warned you to sever ties with him. How come you were drinking with him in private, junior brother?"

It turns out that Fu Danian and Wei Cangdong were both fond of drinking. Although they could not openly befriend each other due to their sect's old grudges, they often secretly sought out secluded mountain pavilions to drink and discuss philosophy.

This time, Wei Cangdong was afraid that his close friend would perish together at the critical moment, so he took the risk to give him some advice, hoping to leave a way out for this drinking buddy...

Fu Danian knew he was in the wrong, so he lowered his head and remained silent.

Seeing this, Yan Rongmu could only snort twice, his fingers unconsciously clenching the armrest. After a moment of contemplation, he turned to Tao Fengbian and said in a deep voice:

“Senior brother, since this news came from Wei Cangdong, it’s hard to tell if it’s true or not. I’m afraid the Liangyi Temple is deliberately creating a false impression to disturb our peace of mind. If it’s really true, why don’t they spread it widely? Wouldn’t that be a better way to suppress our Fusheng Temple?”

Tao Fengbian's long beard trembled slightly as he pondered and gently tapped the table: "What Junior Brother said..."

Before he could finish speaking, Fu Danian suddenly said, "The reason we haven't made a fuss is that we want to take this opportunity to annex my Fusheng Temple!"

These words struck Tao and Yan like a thunderbolt from a clear sky, causing them to abruptly stand up as if struck by lightning.

For a moment, the hall was silent. After a while, Yan Rongmu asked in a low voice, "Did Wei Cangdong tell you this as well?"

Fu Danian nodded heavily and said in a deep voice, "The Liangyi Temple has suffered for a long time because it lacks a sixth-order method in its inheritance. Now, thanks to the old man Qi Yunsu who survived his seclusion... If it were us, we would probably also have the idea of ​​completing our own inheritance, right?"

It turns out that Fusheng and Liangyi Temples are of the same origin, both inheriting the lineage of scattered immortals from Xuandu.

In the past, that wandering immortal failed to survive the three calamities and nine tribulations, and hastily passed on his entire lineage of cultivation, but did not have time to designate a successor, which caused his disciples to fight among themselves for the right to inherit the mantle.

At that time, three true disciples showed their talent and, with the help of the vassal forces, each seized a share of the inheritance.

Because of his most legitimate status, the first disciple received the most complete lineage transmission, thus laying the foundation for the Fusheng Temple.

The second disciple was not to be outdone; after obtaining the remaining scroll, he forged his own path and established the Liangyi Guan lineage.

The two lineages initially coexisted peacefully, but due to the disintegration of their superior Daoist teachings, none of their successors were able to reach the level of their ancestor.

As a result, the two families gradually developed a rift, each wanting to merge their lineages into one. However, they fought endlessly over who would be the legitimate heir and hold the reins of power, so to this day, there has been no real resolution.

Now that Qi Yunsu has emerged from seclusion, Liangyi Temple sees it as an excellent opportunity to merge with Fusheng Temple...

"If that's really the case, then I, Fusheng Temple..."

Yan Rongmu's face turned ashen, realizing how extremely difficult the matter was.

In this critical moment, Tao Feng regained his composure and solemnly said, "This matter has not yet been confirmed, so we must not panic. Junior Brother Fu, I trouble you to go and investigate the truth yourself, and make sure to confirm whether Qi Yunsu has truly broken through and emerged from seclusion."

"Junior Brother Yan, I'd appreciate it if you could make a few more trips and let your fellow cultivators in the surrounding area know a little about the situation. If possible, please invite them over as well, so that they can share some of the pressure with us..."

If Qi Yunsu were not present, he would not be afraid of the power of Liangyi Temple. However, now that the other side has a real person in charge, it would be unwise for Fusheng Temple to confront them head-on. When necessary, they should use other people's strengths to overcome their weaknesses...

After Yan and Fu received their orders and left, Tao Feng paced back and forth for a long time until the moonlight bathed the stone steps before returning to his cave.

He summoned the disciple on duty and lightly brushed the jade table with his wide sleeves: "Has the letter from the Northern Border been filed?"

"Reporting to the Abbot, everything has been prepared as instructed."

The disciple bowed and presented the black iron box, its seal-patterned clasp gleaming faintly under the light of the pearl.

Tao Feng took them and carefully examined each letter. They described recent events at Huiyan Mountain.

Because Lu Daoren was a disciple of Fusheng Temple, after he was killed, the talisman naturally flew back to the temple, which attracted Tao Fengbian's attention.

However, Lu Daoren had fled to a remote place to avoid trouble because he had violated the sect rules. His status as a disciple in the temple had long been taken away, but the talisman had not been retrieved. Therefore, after Tao Feng learned of this, he never intended to stand up for him.

After careful consideration, he thought to himself, "Lu Zhaotai is at the Great Perfection of the Nascent Soul Realm. Even if he hastily fights, he should have the opportunity to escape. There is no one who can destroy his body and soul... It seems that this person is also a True Monarch of the Dao. So why is he staying in that remote place?"

On the side of the couch, how can you allow others to snore?
He had originally intended to settle the matter, but now that Fu Danian had said this, he had no time to worry about Huiyan Mountain anymore.

"Very well, he may just be a fellow practitioner from outside the region who dares not offend the local lineage, so he hastily chose a place of practice. Since he has not truly offended my Fusheng Temple, let him be."

After thinking it over, he put the letter away and instructed the disciple, "Send someone to keep an eye on him. If he stays there obediently, there will be no problem. But if there is any unusual activity, report back immediately."

The disciple immediately agreed and left.

Tao Feng stood up, sighing inwardly, "Truly a time of great turmoil..."

Several days later, Fu Danian returned to the mountain gate, and judging from his expression, the situation was probably not optimistic.

He went directly to the front of the abbot's cave and loudly requested an audience.

Tao Fengbian had been waiting for this, and immediately let him in: "Junior Brother Fu, how is the situation?"

Fu Danian nodded solemnly: "Although the Liangyi Temple tried its best to conceal it, it couldn't hide it from my constant investigation. In the end, I did detect a powerful aura in its mountains, which, upon identification, matched the aura of the Liangyi Temple's inherited profound skills..."

Upon hearing this, Tao Fengbian shook his head and sighed. But before he could say anything, the sound of a bell rang out in front of the mountain, followed by a visiting card breaking through the formation.

The sound of the bell indicates that someone has come to pay their respects at the mountain. According to etiquette, the visitor should wait for the monks of Fusheng Temple to come out to greet them before presenting their visiting card.

But at this moment, it seemed that the visitor couldn't wait any longer and stuffed the visiting card in by himself, which was extremely offensive.

Fu Danian suddenly erupted, already seething with anger over the Liangyi Temple incident. Now that he had found an opportunity, he stepped forward and said in a cold voice, "I want to see who is so arrogant!"

At this moment, Tao Fengbian waved his hand to summon the invitation. Upon looking at it, his expression changed, and he also stood up. Just then, he heard his junior brother's exclamation from outside the mountain: "It's you?"

High above the mountains, a Daoist nun in her thirties, with delicate skin and holding a whisk, looked at Fu Danian with a cool expression and said, "What, Fellow Daoist Fu, are you surprised that I followed you so closely?"

Fu Danian frowned and remained silent, fully aware that his reconnaissance trip had already been discovered by the Liangyi Temple...

At this moment, Tao Feng also appeared. After giving the Daoist nun a deep look, he stepped aside and said, "Fellow Daoist Song, please come in."

The nun surnamed Song showed no fear. She flicked her whisk, moved lightly, and passed by Fu Danian, entering the gate of Fusheng Temple.

Fu Danian followed the gaze, his eyes twitching a few times, but he finally restrained himself, turned around, and went back with them...

……

(End of this chapter)