The road is vague

Chapter 257 Danqing Zhenren
As Chen Shouyi officially announced the preparations for battle and adjusted the power of the mountain-protecting formation to its maximum, many disciples dispersed.

"Wei Cang, Jiang Feiyan, Li Mo."

The three received a secret telepathic message from Lu Qi.

"The three of you go back to your cave first, pack your belongings, and come to my cave tonight. I have important matters to discuss with you."

"Yes."

After responding, the three exchanged glances, revealing a hint of fear and unease.

Everything was understood without words; the three nodded to each other and then left.

Under such a powerful trend, there was really only so much that the three Foundation Establishment cultivators could do.

Li Mo returned to his cave. He first glanced at the bamboo grove in front of the door, and finally gritted his teeth and dug up all the bamboo groves by the roots, preserving them for the time being.

Otherwise, if Sima Fu fails to advance, the Lingmu Sect will cease to exist, and these Arhat Bamboos will only become the spoils of the Shenji Sect.

He then entered the cave and carefully collected all the puppet parts, weapon-refining furnaces, and alchemy furnaces inside. Finally, he even put away the flag array that guarded the cave.

After all this was done, it was getting dark.

With a helpless expression, he took one last look at the cave dwelling before resolutely heading towards Lu Qi's cave dwelling.

Li Mo was the first to arrive at Lu Qi's cave.

"master."

Lu Qi nodded.

"Rest here for a while and wait for your senior brothers and sisters."

"Yes."

After a while.

Wei Cang and Jiang Feiyan arrived one after another, and the three of them sat cross-legged on the futon.

Lu Qi looked at the three of them and a complicated smile appeared on his face.

"I have summoned you here today to explain three things. First, there is the life-or-death crisis facing our sect..."

However, before Lu Qi could finish speaking, Wei Cang, Jiang Feiyan, and Li Mo spoke up at the same time, expressing their determination.

"We will stand with our sect through thick and thin!"

Upon hearing this, Lu Qi waved his hand.

"That's nothing but a momentary act of bravery, a foolish brute. Our sect has no need for martyrs. What I want to say is that Acting Sect Leader Sima Fu will definitely attempt to form his Nascent Soul in the next two days. If he fails, our sect has a backup plan. At that time, a Nascent Soul cultivator will appear and serve as the fourth sect leader of our sect."

Wei Cang, Jiang Feiyan, and Li Mo were all speechless upon hearing this.

That being the case.

What did the master mean by telling him to take his personal belongings with him?
"But if we really go that far, Lingmu Sect will inevitably be criticized in the future, and our disciples will find it difficult to hold their heads high in front of disciples from other sects. Therefore, unless absolutely necessary, our sect is unwilling to take this approach."

None of the three said much.

The Lingmu Sect already holds the lowest status among the six sects in the east; how much more humble can it be?

"The second thing is that things have been a bit unsettled in the Southern Barbarian Lands lately. I suspect that war is likely to break out again. The three of you should prepare in advance. In the next few years, you should try your best to improve your strength and prepare more medicines to restore your mana and heal and detoxify, just in case."

Upon hearing this, Wei Cang and Jiang Feiyan both showed solemn expressions.

Li Mo, having been informed in advance by Ye Yineng, was already prepared and did not show much surprise.

"As for this last matter, I plan to formally become Daoist partners with Wang Xiyue of Cuixia Peak tomorrow. However, our sect is currently in a sensitive period, and to avoid any unforeseen complications, I do not intend to hold a formal dual cultivation ceremony. Instead, the disciples of both sides can have a private celebration. The three of you can do some minor decorations for my cave dwelling..."

So that's what carrying personal belongings means?
After a brief moment of stunned silence, the three of them came to their senses and their faces lit up with surprise.

"Master, you've really prepared a surprise for us!"

"Yes, Master, why didn't you give us a heads-up? We could have prepared accordingly."

"Oh my god, it starts tomorrow! We only have time to decorate the bridal chamber..."

The three of them were momentarily flustered and at a loss, discussing how to decorate Lu Qi's cave dwelling and what gifts to present to their master and mistress. They then placed their personal belongings in a temporary cave dwelling next to the main cave dwelling, creating a relatively lively scene.

the other side.

Lü Cuicui had been lingering on the back mountain for a long time.

During the day, she went to see Lü Tong and had a long talk with her.

As darkness fell completely, she finally made her decision. Gritting her teeth, she headed towards Li Mo's cave. She envisioned a bright future and prepared to have a good talk with Li Mo, carefully listening to his explanation.

However, when she arrived at Li Mo's cave, she was stunned.

This place is now deserted.

Even the once lush Luohan Bamboo Forest has been taken away by Li Mo, leaving only an empty cave that tells the story of this place's past.

Lu Cuicui stood frozen in place, staring blankly at everything before her.

She recalled the wonderful times they had shared there, but now everything was gone, and tears welled up in her eyes.

She then gently squatted down on the ground, buried her head between her knees, and couldn't help but murmur softly sob.

the next day.

Lu Qi arrived at Cuixia Peak with only three disciples.

"Madam, we've come to pick you up!"

Wang Xiyue has five disciples. Among them, Wang Zhu and Li Mo are the most familiar. Of the other four, Li Mo had met the two of them once.

The leader of the five was a female cultivator in the mid-Foundation Establishment stage named Gao.

"If you want to take our master away, you'll have to get past us first!"

The gate-blocking ceremony during the wedding procession is a custom found in various countries in the Central Plains. During this process, the bride's relatives will propose some simple games. Only after the groom's relatives successfully pass the challenges can they take the bride away for the formal ceremony.

Li Mo had already had several experiences with this, so he was quite adept at it.

Amidst the cheers and laughter of the crowd, Wang Xiyue and her five disciples were taken by Li Mo and others to Lu Qi's cave for a simple yet heartwarming ceremony.

Li Mo presented a thousand-year-old Nine Yin Fungus as a gift.

Wang Xiyue was also very happy today. After Wei Cang, Jiang Feiyan, and Li Mo knelt down in unison and called her "Teacher's Wife," she immediately took out the red envelopes she had prepared and distributed them to the three of them.

"Alright, alright, alright. Now that you've called me 'Master's Wife,' you can come to me anytime you need anything!"

Lu Qi also gave red envelopes to Wang Xiyue's five disciples and said a few words of earnest advice.

Surrounded by eight disciples, the two then began their wedding night.

Two hours later.

Li Mo and Wang Zhu sat on a large rock.

The two enjoyed the fragrance of the nearby flowers, drinking together leisurely and having a wonderful time.

After becoming seven-tenths drunk, the two lay down on the large rock, looking up at the cunning bright moon in the sky, feeling as if in a dream.

"Li Mo, do you remember how we first met?"

Upon hearing this, Li Mo shook his head and smiled.

"Of course I remember. It was the first time we were on duty in the training hall, and we were gatekeepers in the treasure hall. You were still telling me about your 'Booger Avenue'..." Back then, they were just a group of fifteen or sixteen-year-old kids.

Recalling his past virginity, Wang Zhu couldn't help but smile, but then his expression gradually became serious.

"Do you still remember Lü Song?"

Li Mo's drunkenness subsided somewhat, and a hint of seriousness appeared on his face.

"Of course I remember. Actually, at that time... I was terrified."

"I killed him."

Wang Zhu spoke calmly, but then suddenly changed the subject.

"But I didn't feel happy because of it. In the past few months, I feel like I've lost my purpose in life. Can you understand that feeling of emptiness and the sense of loss of having nothing to do every day?"

"I……"

at this time.

Just as Li Mo was about to say something, he suddenly jolted awake and sat up from the large rock with Wang Zhu. They looked up at the sky, their expressions revealing astonishment and surprise.

A terrifying spiritual pressure, enough to send chills down your spine, is spreading in all directions from Mount Qingming.

"This is the Nascent Soul Formation celestial phenomenon!"

"Sima Fu, acting on behalf of the sect leader, is attempting to break through the bottleneck of the Nascent Soul stage!"

Just a few moments.

A pure spiritual cloud gathered from all directions towards the vicinity of Qingming Mountain, stretching for over a hundred miles, forming an enormous spiritual cloud vortex with lightning swirling at its center.

Li Mo and Wang Zhu exchanged a glance, took a deep breath, and quickly immersed themselves in the experience, closing their eyes to comprehend it.

This was a rare opportunity for the two of them.

That's why.

The more powerful a sect is, the stronger it tends to become at certain times. This is closely related to the insights that high-level cultivators gain for lower-level disciples after their frequent advancements.

Almost all the disciples on Qingming Mountain ran out of their caves at this moment.

Even Lu Qi and Wang Xiyue, who were on their wedding night, flew out of their cave and looked at the Nascent Soul celestial phenomenon in the sky. They looked nervous and whispered to each other frequently.

In front of the treasure pavilion.

Ye Yimeng's eyes flickered.

"Elder Tan, judging from this celestial phenomenon with your level of understanding, what are the approximate chances of Sima Fu successfully forming his Nascent Soul this time?"

Upon hearing this, the hunched-over old man sighed softly.

"It's really hard to say. After all, it's the Nascent Soul stage, and we're already in the Dharma-ending Age. Even if we're fully prepared, we can't guarantee that we'll be able to advance. But as long as we can cause a celestial phenomenon, we're already halfway there. From now on, we can only wait for fate."

The ethereal clouds in the sky swirl continuously, but they also dissipate naturally over time.

However, with each rotation of the spirit cloud, more spirit clouds would gather from afar and join it.

To outsiders, each rotation of the spiritual cloud seems to take only the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, but for the one who caused the celestial phenomenon, each rotation feels like an entire lifetime spent trapped in inner demons.

The hardships involved are beyond the comprehension of outsiders.

that's it.

About an hour later.

The rolling clouds, hundreds of miles in diameter, gradually formed a funnel shape and slowly descended towards the summit of Qingming Mountain.

As a result, the spiritual energy in the vicinity increased by three points almost out of thin air compared to usual, and all kinds of spiritual plants and trees became lush and strong, exuding vitality.

The closer the Spirit Cloud Funnel gets to the summit of Qingming Mountain, the greater the spiritual pressure becomes.

Even Li Mo and Wang Zhu, who were on the back mountain, couldn't help but show surprise and tremble slightly.

But for the same reason.

The closer the two are, the more difficult it seems to become.

Especially in the last dozen or so feet, it took several times longer for the Spirit Cloud Funnel to fall even a fraction of an inch.

"Acting Sect Leader, keep it up!"

"Senior Brother Sima, you're almost there!"

"The life and death of the Lingmu Sect depends on you!"

"Sima, you old scoundrel, if you succeed today, you will become the fourth generation sect leader of our sect..."

I do not know how long it has been.

Centered on Qingming Mountain, a melodious sound suddenly rang out between heaven and earth, like the falling of a raindrop or the cry of a newborn baby, which made Li Mo's soul ripple.

The hundred-mile-long spiritual cloud in the sky, without any further obstruction, surged rapidly into the summit of Qingming Mountain like a whale swallowing its prey, and then fell to the mortal world.

A massive amount of spiritual energy from heaven and earth rapidly washed over Qingming Mountain.

All the lower-level disciples in this area will gain some insights to varying degrees.

However, this astonishing spiritual power did not linger for long; it dissipated in all directions at an alarming speed.

"Ha ha ha ha……"

A long, drawn-out laugh echoed from the mountains, revealing a sense of exhilarating relief.

Wang Zhu looked at Li Mo.

"The acting sect leader succeeded?"

Li Mo took a deep breath, his face showing joy and excitement.

"The sect leader succeeded. The Lingmu Sect has finally survived this great calamity."

"Ah! This is wonderful!"

For the rest of the night, the disciples of Lingmu Sect were engrossed in endless revelry, celebrating the sect's rebirth.

Even Li Mo and Wang Zhu couldn't help but continue drinking.

the next day.

Li Mo, as a true disciple, went to the Qingming Hall to attend the temporary meeting, and his seat was second only to the Golden Core cultivator.

During the meeting.

Chen Shouyi officially announced that Sima Fu had been successfully promoted and would henceforth serve as the fourth generation head of the sect, with the title of Danqing Zhenren. At the same time, he himself would resign from the position of acting head and would only cultivate in the sect as a true disciple.

"The True Man of Painting and Calligraphy".

However, since he had just advanced to the Nascent Soul stage, Sima Fu was busy consolidating his foundation and therefore did not attend the conference. The seats on the high platform of the Qingming Hall remained empty.

The disciples of the aristocratic families wore complex expressions.

In the next century, the Lingmu Sect's Fair and Just Society will inevitably give rise to several new powerful families, while some of the former four great families will gradually decline. This is an inevitable cycle of change for all major sects.

(End of this chapter)