Lingyuan Immortal

Chapter 952 Li Huo's Bribery: Fu Da Guishan
As the sun set and rose again, the steward suddenly came to report that a fellow traveler had come to visit.

After ascertaining that the visitor's cultivation level was only Nascent Soul, Sun Fu and Wu Yang felt there was no need to disturb their elders, so they got up to greet him.

As the younger generation, it is their duty to handle such trivial matters.

Upon entering the hall, three visitors were already waiting. The one in the lead was dressed in a bright yellow brocade robe with a silver dragon and jade belt around his waist. He exuded an imposing air of nobility and stood with his hands behind his back, looking arrogant.

Upon seeing Sun and Wu appear, he glanced at them and, without any politeness, asked directly, "Where do you two come from?"

There was no need to hide this, Sun Fu said: "My master is the late Xu Zhenjun of Yongshan."

"First Yongshan?"

The cultivator in the brocade robe frowned slightly, turned his head, and asked the two people behind him in a low voice, "What place is that?"

One of them shook his head blankly, while the other seemed to have heard something and hurriedly whispered back, "Xianyong Mountain is a Taoist mountain in Changzhou, not a Taoist sect... It seems that this True Lord Xu is a rogue cultivator..."

Upon hearing the words "rogue cultivator," the brocade-robed cultivator's lips curled into a knowing smile, a barely perceptible hint of disdain flashing in his eyes. He thought to himself, "Rogue cultivator? That makes things even easier."

He took out a gold-embossed gift list from his sleeve, casually tossed it at Sun and Wu.

Sun Fu disliked his behavior and refused to accept the gift with his hands behind his back.

Wu Yang remained calm, casually accepting the gift and glancing at the gift list.

He saw a collection of rare and precious treasures displayed on it, some of which he recognized, while others were completely unfamiliar to him. He frowned slightly and asked, "What is the meaning of this?"

The brocade-robed cultivator sneered, his posture becoming even more arrogant. He raised his chin slightly to one of his attendant cultivators behind him and said, "You, tell them."

The accompanying cultivator stepped forward and said boldly, "Listen carefully! A month from now, the abbot of Fusheng Temple will hold a grand banquet for guests from all directions. If he asks what your master needs, you two should simply read out the items on this gift list word by word!"

Wu Yang's face darkened, while Sun Fu said inexplicably, "The items listed on this list are not what we are looking for."

The brocade-robed cultivator sneered, "Are you truly ignorant or feigning ignorance? The Dao debate is incredibly dangerous; last time alone, three rogue cultivators perished on the spot! Does your master have the confidence to remain uninvolved and unscathed?"

"Let me be frank with you, we are disciples of Zhong Zhenjun of the Li Huo Shen Gong. We have come here to help, only to repay a favor from Fu Sheng Guan in the past. We will have to fight ourselves."

"If you prepare and present the gifts according to this list, my Master Zhong will naturally take good care of your master. This way, you can avoid danger and reap benefits at the same time. Isn't that the best of both worlds?"

"Of course, we have not worked for nothing. Of the items listed on the gift list, we will take 60% as payment, and the remaining 40% will go to your teacher. This division is already quite generous. You should be careful and not be greedy."

Seeing that Sun and Wu remained silent, he paused for a moment and then said, "I will stay at the East-facing Hermitage on the mountaintop. If you have figured things out, you may come to find me at any time."

Having said that, without waiting for their response, he flicked his sleeve and left with his entourage.

Just as they stepped out of the hall, one of the accompanying cultivators suddenly clapped his hands lightly, as if remembering something, and lowered his voice to say:
“Master Han, it seems that the one from Xianyong Mountain was not the only one who checked in here yesterday. There was also a Taoist priest in plain robes who came with him. He looked quite unfamiliar. We must be careful not to offend someone we shouldn’t be offending with our actions.”

The brocade-robed cultivator sneered, "Among the cultivators of Xuandu, which one with a name and surname is unknown to me? As for those who have some connection with my Li Huo Shen Palace, I have already paid my respects long ago."

“Just look at these people, they’re just lodging at the foot of the mountain, you can tell they’re nothing special. If they’re not willing, they’ll suffer when they get to the discussion meeting.”

Inside the hall, Sun Fu's face was flushed, and his breathing became heavier, clearly showing his extreme anger. Wu Yang, however, was not angry, only finding the matter absurd and laughable.

This grand gathering of scholars hosted by the host has become an excuse for outsiders to extort money and line their own pockets? I wonder what the host would think if he knew this.
He pondered for a moment, then decided not to disturb his teachers for the time being. After comforting Sun Fu with a few words, he casually stuffed the gift list into his hand and went back to his room to do his daily practice.

A few days later, Xu Rong went out for a walk to clear her mind. Wu Yang had a slight thought and reported the matter of the Fire God Palace to her.

"The Divine Palace of Li Huo?"

Xu Rong frowned slightly, her expression revealing a hint of seriousness.

Sun and Wu exchanged a glance and quickly asked, "Master, is something wrong?"

Although they guessed that their master would most likely not agree, they were also afraid that if something went wrong, they would ruin their master's important matter.

Seeing this, Xu Rong smiled calmly and shook his head: "It's alright. I'm just a little surprised. This Li Huo Divine Palace is a Taoist lineage in Huanzhou with a profound foundation. The Dao Lord Ancestor who is in charge of the sect is much stronger than the current Fusheng Temple. It's surprising that it has also been involved in this matter."

"As for the list of gifts they submitted..."

He pondered for a moment, then glanced unconsciously back in the direction of Chen Mu's quiet room before resolutely saying, "Ignore it."

"Yes!"

Upon hearing this, Sun and Wu perked up and bowed to take their leave.

……

More than twenty days later, two or three more Daoist True Lords arrived at this mountain dwelling.

Chen Mu's group, with two Dao Seeking cultivators among them, attracted considerable attention. Furthermore, since their cave dwellings were adjacent, many people took the initiative to visit and make friends with them.

One of the True Lords, named Guo Zizhe, had met Xu Rong once before. When they met again in this place, they were both pleasantly surprised and began to visit each other frequently. Over time, they became more and more familiar with each other.

On this day, Guo Zizhe and Xu Rong were playing chess in a pavilion, while a True Lord in green robes watched the game from the side.

Just as the game of chess was reaching its climax, the three of them suddenly sensed something and turned to look. They saw a streak of light pierce the sky and fall directly into the Taoist mountain formation of Fusheng Temple.

Xu Rong focused intently, then smiled and said, "Fellow Daoist Fu has finally returned to the mountain."

Guo Zizhe nodded and sighed, "Having traveled for over ten years, all for the sake of continuing the lineage of our sect, has truly been arduous..."

As a rogue cultivator, he was afraid of such toil and therefore did not want to be bound by the sect. He asked himself honestly, if he were Fu Danian, he would never have been able to do so wholeheartedly.

The True Lord in green robes gazed at the misty spiritual light in the mountains and said slowly, "The hardship is worthwhile. Just look at the people gathered here. On the day of the banquet, there will probably be more than fifteen fellow Daoists seeking the Dao."

He said with emotion, "When I travel around, it is rare to even meet a fellow traveler. I never thought that there would be such a grand occasion today."

Upon hearing this, Guo Zizhe put down the chess piece and said with a smile, "I have also paid many visits these past few days. Most of the guests here are invited by Fellow Daoists Fu and Yan of Fusheng Temple."

"Those who arrived before us have a deep connection with Fusheng Temple and were personally invited by the abbot. With the addition of independent cultivators like us, it is not surprising that so many like-minded people have gathered together."

"It is only natural that a grand gathering of Daoists would stir the hearts of cultivators across hundreds of millions of miles..."

At this moment, Xu Rong gently placed the chess piece on the board, raised his head and asked, "People say that the dispute between Fusheng and Liangyi Liangguan is a debate about the orthodox tradition, but I always feel that there is still something unresolved. Do you two know what they are fighting over?"

The True Monarch in green robes looked around and lowered his voice: "Does Fellow Daoist Xu know about the concept of 'Cave Heaven'?"

Xu Rong's eyes flickered slightly, and she slowly nodded: "I've heard a little about it."

The existence of a grotto-heaven left by our ancestors is not a secret; everyone who comes here knows it. "The answer lies within," the Azure-Robed True Monarch said, a profound meaning playing on his lips.

"Oh?" Xu Rong pressed, "I'd like to hear more details."

Guo Zizhe also showed great interest, listening intently.

The Green-Robed True Lord's smile faded slightly, and he lowered his voice even further, bowing to the two of them: "I only heard about this matter secondhand. If it reaches your ears, consider it just an anecdote and something to be enjoyed. Please don't take it seriously."

Guo Zizhe was always witty. Upon hearing this, he pretended to slam his hand on the table and said angrily, "Stop keeping me in suspense and tell me quickly!"

The True Lord in Green Robes bowed to the two men again before saying, "This matter must begin with Fusheng and Liangyi Temple. These two schools originally came from the same source, and their respective founders all found profound secret techniques in their ancestral caves..."

Guo Zizhe impatiently interrupted, "We already know a lot about these old stories, why do you need to go on and on?"

The True Lord in Green Robes waved his hand leisurely: "Don't rush, don't rush, there's more to it than meets the eye."

He glanced cautiously at the outside room and lowered his voice even further: "Back then, that wandering immortal ancestor actually had more than just these two disciples. He also had a third disciple who entered the cave heaven with him."

"However, this mysterious third disciple's temperament is very different from that of his two senior brothers. He couldn't bear to see his master's lineage split up, so while the two families were fighting for the inheritance, he used a secret method to completely seal off his master's cave."

"The founders of the two schools had no choice but to leave the cave, and the many rare treasures and some profound inheritances sealed in the cave were also sealed away."

"Now, the legacy of our ancestors has been exhausted. Let alone restoring the glory of our forefathers, even the realm of perfect enlightenment has only been achieved by one elderly man in the previous generation. Now that our ancestral grotto-heaven has reappeared, how can our two families not strive to monopolize it?"

"In this way, we can not only solidify the legitimacy of our sect's lineage, but also revitalize our sect's foundation by utilizing the abundant resources and supreme inheritance sealed within that grotto-heaven for ten thousand years. Who wouldn't be tempted by such an extraordinary opportunity?"

Upon hearing this, Xu Rong was already seven or eight parts convinced.

Guo Zizhe, however, still had doubts and pressed on, "Leaving aside the Liangyi Temple, Fusheng Temple still has the 'Hunyuan Zhenyun Cong' to suppress the destiny, how could such a flaw occur?"

The Green-Robed True Lord spoke in a slightly deep voice, with a hint of barely perceptible sarcasm: "Destiny? If the Zhenyun Cong were truly foolproof, how could it have fallen to such a state today? In my humble opinion, there must have been some unknown changes that happened."

Upon hearing this, Guo Zizhe and Xu Rong exchanged a glance, both agreeing that what was said... was indeed true.

The True Lord in green robes suddenly smiled and flicked his sleeves lightly: "Enough, the details here are ultimately of little concern to us, so let's not dwell on them. But why have I been unable to find Fellow Daoist Chen despite my visits these past few days?"

He heard about Chen Mu's reputation from Xu Rong and decided to befriend him.

Xu Rong readily replied, "The time for the Dao discussion is drawing near, and Fellow Daoist Chen has been cultivating in seclusion behind closed doors for the past few days, without receiving any guests."

The Green-Robed True Lord waved his hand dismissively: "For outsiders like us with no real background, we'll just be going through the motions and putting on a show. Why bother with all this?"

At this point, he stopped abruptly, looking at Xu Rong with surprise: "Could it be... that Fellow Daoist Chen did not grant the request of that disciple of the Fire God Palace?"

Before Xu Rong could answer, Guo Zizhe snorted coldly, "What's wrong with refusing such an impolite request?"

Upon hearing this, the True Monarch in green robes suddenly stood up, exclaimed "Oh dear!", paced back and forth a couple of times with his hands behind his back, then turned around abruptly and said solemnly, "Fellow Daoists, you were indeed careless in this matter!"

"What do you mean?" Guo and Xu asked in unison.

"Regardless of the strength of the Li Huo Divine Palace, just consider that True Lord Zhong. He is the most powerful among us. His 'Sitting in Oblivion' realm has reached its peak, and his cultivation is no less than that of the two abbots!"

"More importantly, he was personally invited by Abbot Tao and entrusted with an important task. He is the backbone who will lead us in the battle against the True Lord of Liangyi Temple."

"If we offend him..."

Although he paused, his unspoken meaning was already clear—the fellow practitioners invited by Liangyi Temple were no ordinary people, and if they were deliberately arranged to face powerful figures in a battle, their lives might be in danger…

Guo Zizhe's expression suddenly changed. He had only been there a short time, and because he had spoken with Xu Rong, he hadn't taken the unreasonable request to heart.

If what the Green-Robed True Lord said is true, then this matter certainly needs to be remedied.

After all, the main reason for this trip is to build relationships; resources are another matter, and a little more or less won't make a big difference.

Xu Rong frowned unconsciously, and a subtle change occurred in her heart.

But he is not Chen Mu, so how can he make decisions for him?
"Although it's clear that Fellow Daoist Chen's strength is considerable, his cultivation is ultimately not as formidable as that of True Monarch Zhong. If we lose sight of the bigger picture for the sake of a small gain..."

Seeing that he remained silent, the Green-Robed True Lord kindly advised, "Cultivating the Dao is difficult for us. You two should go and persuade Fellow Daoist Chen. Although the rewards for this Dao discussion are plentiful, the dangers are also considerable. It would be better to grant True Lord Zhong's wish and seek peace of mind."

After listening, Xu Rong finally nodded and said, "What you say makes sense, fellow Daoist. I will go see Fellow Daoist Chen now."

Having traveled together to this point, he felt he needed to consider Chen Mu's situation more carefully.

The three immediately got up, intending to go to Chen Mu's place of meditation to request an audience, when they suddenly heard a commotion outside.

Xu Rong frowned slightly: "Sun Fu, Wu Yang, what's all this commotion about?"

Sun Fu strode forward, his face beaming with joy, and announced, "Master, it is True Lord Fu who has arrived!"

The three of them were taken aback for a moment, then quickly walked down from the pavilion and greeted each other, saying, "Please come in!"

Although they were both True Lords of the Dao, Fu Danian not only had a higher cultivation level, but also had the support of the Fusheng Temple, a lineage of scattered immortals, making his status far superior to theirs.

In fact, if Fusheng Temple hadn't been in dire straits and Fu Danian hadn't taken the initiative to visit them, they probably wouldn't have even had a chance to make contact with them...

"Fellow Daoist Xu is truly a great friend. Fellow Daoist Fu came here personally as soon as he returned to the mountain, which shows how important Fellow Daoist Xu is to him."

The True Lord in Green Robes clicked his tongue in amazement, his tone revealing a hint of envy.

Guo Zizhe nodded repeatedly from the side, which made Xu Rong inexplicably nervous.

He also wondered to himself: He had only met Fu Danian a few times, so why was the other party treating him with such courtesy?

Could it be... that I am indeed valued by them?
While they were pondering, the three of them had already arrived at the outer courtyard. There, they saw the burly Fu Danian striding in with an imposing presence.

But upon closer inspection of their expressions, their gazes... didn't seem to be directed at them at all.
"Fellow Daoist Fu..."

The three bowed respectfully from afar. As Fu Danian approached, Xu Rong asked with a smile, "Fellow Daoist Fu, you have just returned to your sect, why have you come here so soon—"

Before he could finish speaking, Fu Danian returned the greeting slightly, glanced at everyone, and asked with a smile, "Fellow Daoist Xu, may I ask where Fellow Daoist Chen is now?"

"Fellow Daoist Chen...?"

……

(End of this chapter)