Lingyuan Immortal

Chapter 949 The Discourse Begins with the Prelude
As soon as these words came out, the whole hall fell into silence.

Qi Yunsu, who had been resting with her eyes closed, suddenly opened them. Although her expression remained unchanged, her heart was already stirred.

Luo Feng frowned, pondered for a moment, and then asked, "Junior Brother Wei, how credible is Fu Danian's statement? Is he truly a member of the Biluo Chaosheng Pavilion?"

Wei Cangdong lowered his eyes and replied, "Fu Danian treats me sincerely and would not use such words to deceive me."

The nun surnamed Song seemed to have a deep grudge against Wei Cangdong. Upon hearing this, she sneered, "Senior Brother Wei is still as stubborn as ever."

Wei Cangdong ignored him and continued, "To prevent any oversights, I personally went to investigate the area around Huiyan Mountain on my way back. Even though we were tens of thousands of miles apart, I could still sense the extremely pure water elemental energy."

"Within the territory of Xiajin Sandu, apart from the direct descendants of Biluo Chaosheng Pavilion, is there any other family that can condense such a heaven and earth phenomenon?"

"If Junior Sister Song doesn't believe me, she can go and investigate for herself."

The nun surnamed Song snorted, flicked her whisk, and fell silent.

At this moment, Luo Feng's expression turned slightly grim, and he muttered, "If this plot against Fusheng Temple involves such figures, it will be somewhat of a hindrance..."

The nun surnamed Song thought differently and said loudly, "I am just one person, not the entire Biluo Chaosheng Pavilion. Why should the abbot be afraid to act rashly?"

Luo Feng shook his head and said, "Things are not so simple. This person carries the inheritance of the True Immortal lineage. We must not act rashly."

After all, Dongdu and Xuandu are adjacent. If Biluo Chaosheng Pavilion really wants to cause trouble, it is feared that it could stir up a storm in the blink of an eye.

Luo Feng pondered for a moment but still couldn't come up with anything, so he turned to Wei Cangdong and asked, "Junior Brother Wei, what do you think?"

He brought the news, so he must have some opinions on it.

Wei Cangdong had indeed planned ahead, and immediately replied solemnly, "Master, you are wise. Since they are disciples of the Biluo Chaosheng Pavilion, even if we can suppress their brilliance, can we really treat them as ruthlessly as we did to rogue cultivators? At that time, it would affect the whole situation and probably bring even greater trouble."

Luo Feng nodded solemnly. Putting aside Chen Daoren's strength for the time being, his identity alone was enough to restrain them from going all out.

If either side has reservations at that point, the outcome of the match could truly be uncertain...

The nun surnamed Song said unhappily, "So, are we just going to ignore this?"

To their surprise, Wei Cangdong did not ignore the nun surnamed Song this time. Instead, he replied earnestly, "Junior Sister Song misunderstands. That is not my intention. Although we cannot directly intervene, it does not mean that no one can deal with this person..."

Luo Feng and the Daoist nun surnamed Song were both taken aback upon hearing this, not because they were curious about what Wei Cangdong had said, but because they were surprised that he had offered his insights for the first time.

Who among them did not know that this fellow disciple had always disliked worldly affairs and had even secretly leaked the sect's secrets in order to resist antagonizing Fusheng Temple? Who would have thought that he would change his mind today?
Perhaps sensing the strange looks from the two, Wei Cangdong slowly lowered his eyes and explained in a deep voice, "The abbot is right about one thing: we should prioritize our own lineage..."

"good!"

Qi Yunsu, who was sitting at the head of the table, suddenly shouted and nodded slightly to Wei Cangdong: "If Junior Nephew Wei can say these words, then the sect's thirty years of quiet cultivation have not been in vain."

Of the three people in this generation of Liangyi Temple, Luo Feng, though advanced in age and virtuous, holds the seal of the temple's abbot, but his foundation in Taoism is already solidified, making further progress difficult.

Song was a man of lofty ideals but also of upright character, and ultimately found it difficult to inherit the throne.

Only Wei Cangdong could catch his eye. He was exceptionally talented, and if he were willing to cast aside worldly ties and devote himself to the Dao, he might be able to break through the Dao Lord's profound barrier.

Unfortunately, he was always too sentimental and often hesitated before acting, so I treated him coldly to temper his character.

Now, after much refinement, it seems his junior apprentice has finally settled down...

Wei Cangdong remained silent, but rose and bowed deeply to him.

Luo Feng then laughed loudly and said, "I am very pleased that Junior Brother Wei has remembered these words. Do you have any good ideas? Please speak freely."

Having already resolved to "fulfill his duties in his position," Wei Cangdong immediately cupped his hands and said, "Those who belong to the True Immortal lineage should be judged by those who belong to the True Immortal lineage."

Luo Feng's heart skipped a beat: "Junior Brother, are you perhaps referring to the fellow Daoist from the Thunder Ancient Pool who invited you here?"

Among the three true immortal lineages of Xuandu, only the Ancient Thunder Pool and the Eastern Capital's Ashwood Abyss have formed an alliance, while they have a long-standing grudge against the Azure Tide Pavilion.

Of all the people from the True Immortal lineage that my junior brother spoke of, only the Ancient Pool of Tribulation Lightning might be willing to come.

Upon hearing this, the Daoist nun surnamed Song frowned again and said, "Even a mere Azure Heaven True Monarch might not be able to invoke the Ancient Tribulation Lightning Pool. What guarantees do you have?"

Instead of answering, Wei Cangdong asked, "Do you still remember the Taixu Dragon Fishing Banquet that I held in the Three Heavens of Xiajin before?"

Both Luo and Song nodded. As cultivators seeking enlightenment, they highly praised the Taixu Dragon Fishing Banquet, but unfortunately, this banquet was jointly organized by the eight major immortal lineages, so they could only sigh and could not participate.

"When I, your junior brother, went to witness the ceremony, I personally saw the conflict between the disciples of the Biluo Chaosheng Pavilion and the Jie Lei Ancient Pool over the sake of the Taiyin Si Clan, forcing them to suffer a hidden loss..."

Wei Cangdong spoke eloquently, but what he was talking about was the entanglement between the three families over a spirit pet, the Moon Thunder Lion, back then.

"Back then, Fellow Daoist Dongyi had this grudge against Biluo Chaosheng Pavilion, and he was always looking for revenge. Now that the news has spread, I don't believe he can remain indifferent..."

The nun surnamed Song nodded and then fell silent.

Luo Feng considered for a moment, feeling that the matter was feasible, and was about to give the order when he suddenly stopped, turned to Qi Yunsu, and asked, "What does Martial Uncle think?"

Qi Yunsu smiled slightly: "Junior Nephew Wei is right, this matter is worth a try."

"Well."

Luo Feng pondered for a moment, then took out a jade slip from his sleeve, made a record of it, and handed it to Wei Cangdong: "I will trouble you, Junior Brother, to make this trip. If Dongyi has any requests, you can decide whether to grant them based on the contents of this jade slip."

Wei Cangdong accepted the gift with a flick of his sleeve, bowed to the three men, and then turned and left.

After he left, Qi Yunsu pondered for a moment and then instructed, "The fact that you were able to get help from the Biluo Chaosheng Pavilion shows that Fusheng Temple's fortunes are not yet over. To prevent such things from happening again, keep a close eye on the movements of the two people from Fusheng Temple. If you can stir things up, just go for it."

"Yes."

Luo Feng rose, bowed, and left together with the Taoist nun surnamed Song.

The empty Ancestral Hall fell silent for a moment. Qi Yunsu turned to the portrait of the Ancestral Master and stared at it for a long time without moving...

……

The twilight was as dark as ink, yet the sky was tinged with an eerie bluish-purple hue.

Chen Mu stood with his hands behind his back atop Huiyan Mountain, his robe sleeves fluttering in the wind. A wisp of divine thought swept across the lake below the mountain, and a faint smile appeared on his lips.

Ten years have passed in the blink of an eye. The blue duck, which was only a foot in size when it hatched, now has wingspans of more than ten feet, and its feathers have a moist sheen.

At this moment, it is raising its head to the sky, and the surging demonic energy around it reflects the entire lake in a glassy color. Beneath the surface, dark currents are surging, as if accumulating thousands of waves.

After an unknown amount of time, Chen Mu's eyes flashed.

"boom--!"

With a deafening roar, the leaden clouds suddenly pressed down to the mountainside, and purple lightning flashed like a dragon within the clouds.

With a clear cry, the blue duck suddenly spread its wings, creating a water curtain dome above its head.

Chen Mu glanced at it and waved his hand to dispel the great array restrictions of Huiyan Mountain.

He could help Lan Fu with other things, but not with the lightning tribulation.

The clouds dispersed, revealing the thunderclouds more clearly.

When the first bolt of lightning struck, the world turned white. The water curtain dome shattered in response, and the blue duck's feathers exploded into countless water droplets, which turned into mist the instant they touched the lightning.

The blue duck remained completely calm. With a flap of its wings, thousands of waves gathered in the lake below, roaring and swirling outwards. This not only dissipated the remaining lightning energy but also absorbed the full power of the second tribulation lightning.

“Clang, clang, clang!”

In the blink of an eye, three more bolts of tribulation lightning struck down, intertwining with each other, resembling a purple-scaled thunder dragon with bristling whiskers and halberds.

Instead of retreating, the blue duck advanced, its sharp beak aimed straight for the dragon's eyes.

The moment the water mines collided, a vortex of spiritual energy within a radius of a hundred miles exploded.

When the ninefold lightning tribulation was halfway through, the left wing of the blue duck was already charred black, but it still raised its head and cried out, driving the countless water elements to flap their wings and meet the attack.

When the final three tribulations struck in succession, the entire sky seemed to be torn to shreds.

Chen Mu stared intently at the spirit bird that had been reborn under the lightning...

When the clouds dispersed and the sky cleared, the lake had turned into a deep pit hundreds of feet deep.

The blue duck stood proudly on the scorched earth, its four newly formed natal spirit wings shimmering between them. With each flap of its wings, water essence was generated out of thin air and poured into the already dried-up pit.

Chen Mu breathed a sigh of relief, then shook his head and smiled, only to find that watching Lan Fu undergo his tribulation was even more nerve-wracking than when he himself was undergoing his own lightning tribulation.

Unlike human cultivators, demon cultivators' tribulations are not predetermined, and the number of tribulations does not indicate talent. However, Chen Lan's nine-fold tribulation today is an exception.

Nine is the ultimate number, which suggests that Chen Lan's aptitude might be even better than he thought.

Furthermore, the purer the bloodline of a demon cultivator, the more difficult it is for them to transform into human form.

Ordinary demon cultivators can transform into human form when they reach the third-stage Golden Core realm, but Chen Lan…

Judging from his appearance, he might not be able to achieve it even at the fifth level.

However, it doesn't really matter; whether or not it can transform into a human form, the power of cause and effect remains the same.

Chen Mu looked at Lan Fu as if he were looking at the two gateways to his future, and couldn't help but shake his head and smile.

After a moment, he ignored Chen Lan's meditation, turned around and went back to the pavilion to sit down. Then he cast a talisman and waited quietly.

Before half a cup of tea could be brewed, a golden rainbow suddenly appeared in the sky, piercing the sun. When it landed, it had transformed into a burly man with a golden ring around his forehead.

His steps were solemn, as if he were on a pilgrimage. He prostrated himself and kowtowed when he was three zhang away: "I wonder what decree the True Lord has summoned this little demon to give?"

This demon was none other than the Tiger Mountain Lord who served the two at their banquet ten years ago.

"There's nothing else to do, but I've been in seclusion for a long time, and my senses are dulled. So let me tell you about some interesting things that have happened in recent years."

The tiger demon breathed a sigh of relief, its copper bell-like eyes darting around three times. Knowing this person was surely trying to find out the movements of Fusheng Temple, it immediately replied:
"Other things are quite ordinary, but recently strange phenomena have been occurring frequently in Qizhou. The Fusheng and Liangyi lineages have been widely distributing invitations, attracting cultivators from all directions to respond. There are frequent reports of them competing and fighting each other, which has certainly drawn a lot of attention..."

"Oh?"

Chen Mu smiled in surprise, thinking to himself, "The discussion on the Dao hasn't even begun, yet they've already started the foreplay."

"Do you recognize any of the characters?"

The tiger demon scratched its head sheepishly, its voice like muffled thunder: "This lowly demon is but a mountain spirit, how dare I presume to be associated with those immortals who ride cranes and clouds..."

Chen Mu did not press the matter further and asked, "Which faction has more people?"

"Upon closer examination..."

The tiger demon calculated for a long time, "The Liangyi Temple has about half a percent more."

"The Yin-Yang Observation?"

Chen Mu frowned, as this was different from what Fu Danian had said before.

He guessed that there might be some unexpected changes, but he didn't care. As long as the disparity wasn't too great, the key to victory in this battle actually lay with Qi Yunsu, and it had little to do with outsiders.

After pondering for a moment, he bestowed some elixirs to drive away the tiger demon, then got up and returned to his quiet room to continue his own cultivation.

Over the past ten years, he has accumulated no shortage of Dao traces and has honed his cultivation day and night, eliminating all the hidden dangers of rapidly advancing through the gates. He is now only waiting for Fu Yi's discourse on the Dao before he can attempt to break through the fifth level of the profound gate...

……

Xuandu, Yuzhou, Beilian Cliff.

A streak of light swept in, revealing the figure of a Taoist with a star-shaped crown.

This person's eyes shone with divine light, his appearance was extraordinary, and coupled with the powerful spiritual energy around his body and the feathered robe and star-studded crown, everything revealed that this person's identity and cultivation were both remarkable.

However, the slightly disheveled hair on his forehead gave him an additional sense of travel weariness.

This person is Yan Rongmu. Since leaving the mountain ten years ago, he has traveled all over the four states of Xuandu and traversed hundreds of millions of miles of mountains and rivers.

Although I occasionally encountered a few fellow practitioners who refused to see guests, most of the cultivators treated me with courtesy, but very few agreed to join me in the ritual to discuss the Dao.

With less than two years until the time for Fu Yi's discourse, he is inevitably becoming more and more anxious.

Earlier, he had met with his junior brother Fu, and the two exchanged information and found that there were fewer than two people who had agreed to the invitation.

Although this number is an increase from the previous six, this discussion concerns the ultimate opportunity, and is still far from what is sought.

Having already visited all those they could find, they could only place their hopes on the reclusive scholars who wandered the world for the rest of the time.

However, one thing is unavoidable: the whereabouts of these fellow practitioners are unpredictable. Although they are famous, it is difficult to find their traces.

For example, his target this time was a female cultivator known as "Fairy Maiden". No one knew her name or the location of her Taoist temple. It was only said that she was kind and generous and had helped many fortunate cultivators who met her to find guidance.

He spent several months traveling around and finally heard a rumor that he often picked fresh lotus seeds at Beilian Cliff.

He traveled day and night to reach this place, hoping to meet the person and receive their help...

Yan Rongmu dispersed his escape light and rode the wind through the clouds.

After lingering for several days, he suddenly felt something and followed his thoughts to leave.

Looking around, the terrain gradually rises in front, forming a natural high platform, shaped like a square platform facing the solitary peak to the southwest.

A deep chasm lies between the two mountains, with withered grass stretching to the horizon at the bottom of the valley, its scorched yellow color staining everything in sight.

However, a few miles to the right, there is another world. Clear springs cascade down the towering cliffs like beaded curtains, and mist rises like smoke. Even from afar, one can feel the bone-chilling coolness.

On that hillside stands a banyan tree hundreds of feet tall, with an enormous canopy, lush branches and leaves, and old vines intertwined beneath it, covered with fallen leaves. While most of the North Sickle Cliff is a desolate place, this spot is quite unique.

He looked around and suddenly saw a beam of emerald light fly out from under the banyan tree. A female cultivator emerged from within, with a face like a lotus flower, delicate skin, and a voluptuous figure. She wore a long blue dress, a light shawl, and carried a bamboo basket covered with a red cloth...

……

(End of this chapter)