Controlling the Five Thunders and the Two Worlds

Chapter 216 Visiting Longmen Cave

"Hmm, not bad, Yunyang didn't trick me."

Old Sun's paomo (pita bread soaked in mutton soup) is both thin and soft, the Muslim Quarter is bustling with people, the braised pork knuckle is fragrant and gelatinous, and the roujiamo (meat sandwich) with green peppers is not greasy at all.

Gu Zhao was quite satisfied, but he always felt that the locals looked at him with pity.

What pleased him even more was that while he was eating a potato sandwich, another lightning seed condensed, demonstrating just how hard the old Taoist priests from the other world had worked.

However, he came up empty-handed at the Eight Immortals Palace.

"Master Jingfa isn't here? Did he go to Longmen Cave for some quiet cultivation?" Gu Zhao scratched his head.

Didn't Yun Yang say that his martial uncle was a homebody?
It's either that he didn't want to come back from Qingcheng Mountain, or that he couldn't stay and went to other places to cultivate.

Master Jingyan replied, "He said that the Eight Immortals Palace is too noisy and he can't concentrate on his cultivation. The Dragon Gate Cave has a harsh environment, which is suitable for cultivation."

Gu Zhao remained silent.

Okay, I am indeed quite a homebody.

"Should I call him back?" Master Jingyan asked.

Master Jingyan knew of Gu Zhao's abilities. With his help, Yun Yang brought in more than two million in extra income for the palace and later went to Guangzhou to cultivate.

Although Master Jingyan was somewhat puzzled as to why Yunyang wanted to go to Guangzhou, he stopped asking about the details after learning that Master Yihong was also in Guangzhou. Moreover, he later heard that Master Yihong and Master Mingyu of the Celestial Master's Mansion had established a Taoist research institute in Guangzhou.

Master Jingyan guessed that the research institute must be full of Taoists who had cultivated internal energy, and that the research they were doing must be beneficial to the Taoist sect. It was Yun Yang's good fortune that he was able to participate in it at such a young age.

So when Gu Zhao came to see Yun Yang's uncle, Jing Fa, he was very eager to help.

"No need," Gu Zhao shook his head. "I've never been to Longmen Cave either. I've heard that Longmen Cave is one of the three ancestral temples of the Longmen Sect, so I might as well go and visit it."

……

After bidding farewell to Daoist Jingyan, Gu Zhao did not take the high-speed train, because there was no high-speed train from Xijing to Longmen Cave.

Looking around, Gu Zhao found a spot without surveillance cameras, then with a wave of his hand, he made himself invisible. He then took to the air and flew westward.

He didn't take too long to cover the distance of over 200 kilometers.

Gu Zhao quickly found the location of Longmen Cave by following the map and road markings.

"It's not that tough." Gu Zhaofei looked down at the entire Longmen Mountain from the sky. "There is also a Taoist temple in Longmen Cave, and there are quite a few people, but it is located in a remote area and there are not many tourists, so it is indeed quieter."

Located in the northwest, Longmenshan is still dominated by loess soil despite the northward shift of the precipitation line in recent years. However, the mountains are now covered with lush greenery.

Since he was already there, Gu Zhao didn't go directly to Master Jingfa. Instead, he descended to earth, bought a ticket, and then leisurely went up Longmen Mountain, heading towards the Hunyuan Cave at the top of Longmen Mountain.

Gu Zhao did not take the sightseeing bus. As he walked uphill, he saw caves, statues, and houses along the way, all of which had a sense of antiquity.

The Taoist priests in the mountains were dressed relatively simply, and perhaps it was just the environment, but they did look more rustic than the Taoist priests in the south.

Aside from the Taoist priests, there weren't many tourists in the scenic area. Most of them were tourists who had driven here during the short Qingming Festival holiday. They were strolling around in twos and threes, as if taking a walk. After all, this is not a large scenic area, and the place is not big either. You can walk around and stop at your own pace and finish quickly.

Besides tourists, there were also two or three live streamers who came because of the fame of the five hanging Taoist temples and monasteries in Longmen Cave. Compared to the famous Hanging Temple in Shanxi Province, Longmen Cave is much less well-known.

"But the dangerous parts are by no means small." A live streamer said to himself while taking a selfie stick, "The highest point, Hunyuan Peak, requires climbing a suspended ladder to get up, which is very dangerous."

I heard that there used to be only a wooden ladder, with no safety measures, and you had to turn around halfway up. I don't know how the ancients managed to build structures on these cliffs.

Most of the scenery in Longmen Mountain is quite ordinary, with nothing particularly stunning, and the environment isn't great either. It certainly can't compare to those famous scenic spots. If it weren't for the thrilling and exciting Suspended Temple, it probably wouldn't even have its current reputation. However, those tourists who come specifically for the Suspended Temple might not dare to go up the plank road and suspended iron chains in the air.

Because those dangerous areas don't provide safety harnesses or anything like that for tourists; they just have a chain strung around the area. Whether it's safe or not depends entirely on your own attention.

Most tourists who are afraid of heights or timid simply give up near the Taibai Hall.

Plank Road in the Sky? Just look at it!
A Taoist temple suspended in mid-air? Just look at it, that's all!
When Gu Zhao arrived at the bottom of the cliff, he saw many tourists who had come here, climbed halfway, and then turned back to rest before preparing to descend the mountain.

"It's scary!"

"Holy crap? You just went up there?"

"I've reached the top."

"Wow! What's it like up there?"

"It's just like that. There's a statue about half a person's height, and I even bowed to it."

Are there any Taoist priests?

"Yes, there are several, but they all ignore me."

"Look at what you're saying. They specifically built the Taoist temple on a cliff, and you guys still managed to chase after them. You're lucky if they don't roll their eyes at you, and you expect them to even acknowledge you?"

"Taoism can't go against the local management authorities; they also need to manage the scenic area to generate revenue."

"But I think those Taoist priests are really amazing. They climbed the iron chains and walked the plank roads steadily. There were also some places that looked very dangerous, but they just took a step and passed them."

"There were no iron chains like this before. How did people climb up there in ancient times?"

"Of course, we'll use light-footed skills!"

"Hahaha!"

"You know what, just look at where people built their buildings in ancient times. I think people in ancient times were much healthier than us modern people."

"We don't even need to look at the ancients; just look at people from the 1960s and 70s—they were all healthier than us!"

Gu Zhao listened to their conversation, quickly passed by them, and then went up the stone steps, symbolically pulling on the iron chain as he went.

"Another guy has arrived."

"Let's see if he can get up there."

Then they watched as Gu Zhao leisurely climbed up the rock wall, passed the Taibai Hall, went through the cliffside walkway, entered the Jade Emperor Pavilion, and climbed two layers of iron chain stairs to reach the top of Hunyuan Peak.

"Niu beep!"

"This guy has definitely trained!"

There were two Taoist priests in the pavilion at Hunyuan Peak. One was older, with gray hair and beard, and looked to be over seventy years old. The other was younger, but looked to be in his fifties or sixties. The two sat on one side, overlooking the scenery and chatting casually.

Gu Zhao looked at the Primordial Ancestor in the shrine, also known as Taishang Laojun, and then, as if they were old friends, took out three incense sticks from the side, lit them, bowed three times, and then offered incense respectfully.

After offering incense, Gu Zhao approached the two Taoist priests. Seeing them turn to look at him, he bowed to the younger priest and said, "Greetings, Taoist Master Jingfa."

(End of this chapter)