The True Lord has arrived

Chapter 165 Unparalleled Majesty Shocks Even Ghosts and Gods (Fourth Update, Seeking Monthly Tickets)
Ao Xuantao, as one of the Eighth Rank, holds a high position among all the gods of water and land.

Although his own cultivation level was sixth rank, he could control the water system and even fight against ordinary fifth rank cultivators. Even if a human Daoist was a fourth rank True Person, the Dragon Clan would not be overly respectful. In his eyes, Zhou Yan was the Lord of Mount Tai, and Xiweizi's arrival was naturally to request an audience.

Zhou Yan said, "There's no need for that, Elder Ao."

"Let's invite Master Xiweizi here."

"Yes."

Ao Xuantao withdrew, and Li Zhiwei also put away the scroll. Zhou Yan swept his sleeve and pinched the [Kitchen God Jade Talisman] in his hand. A flash of light appeared, and some small dishes and snacks quickly appeared on the table. After Zhou Yan had three hundred years of cultivation, he was much faster at using the jade talisman.

Li Zhiwei said, "If a true master has come, it must be because he has something to say."

"Then I'll leave first."

"Here, take this painting."

She handed the scroll to Zhou Yan, then left with a smile. Zhou Yan unfolded the scroll and saw that the young Taoist in the painting resembled Zhou Yan himself, but through various techniques, the scroll had been enhanced with the carefree spirit of the Taoist school.

It was Zhou Yan who was mentioned.

Rather, it would be more accurate to say that the identity of "Grandmaster Uncle of Louguan Dao," which is recognized by everyone, is manifested on the scroll based on Zhou Yan. One can imagine that if the altar were reopened and the scroll were burned using the art of prayer.

Within the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, everyone subconsciously acknowledges the Grand Master Uncle of Louguan Dao, and tacitly agrees that what the Grand Master Uncle of the number one Daoist sect in the world can do will be blessed upon Zhou Yan. It is impossible for him to truly attain supreme Daoist cultivation, but there will certainly be various forms of blessing.

They can cast spells faster and master many Taoist supernatural powers and spells.

You may not understand the principles, but you can still use it.

This is already considered to be a different level of [talisman].

"Ah, so lifelike, capturing the essence perfectly. The princess's painting skills are indeed a true inheritance from that painting sage. It's truly admirable." A gentle voice came from behind. Zhou Yan put the scroll away and looked in the direction from which the voice came.

He is Xiweizi, the master of Louguan Dao.

The battle between Xiweizi and the peacock had ended. This fourth-rank True Man still looked calm and natural. Zhou Yan invited him to sit down and chat for a while. Xiweizi stroked his beard and smiled, "Grandmaster Uncle has quite the skills. He has only been here for seven or eight days and has already changed the situation of Louguan Dao."

Zhou Yan replied, "Given the situation, if we don't want to sit and wait for our demise, we can only try to survive on our own. However, I'm worried about causing trouble for Louguandao."

Xiweizi said gently, "Although Louguan Dao is not the most outstanding in the world, it is not so bad that it cannot even protect its own founder. Rather, Louguan Dao has the empty title of the number one Daoist sect in the world, which has attracted the attention of various forces."

"Due to various reasons, we cannot act rashly. Even if we know the truth, we can only let things be. But you, Grandmaster Uncle, are of a high enough seniority and are not a member of the Louguan sect, so you are not bound by any rules."

"Only if my grandmaster uncle does this can I take action."

Zhou Yan said, "That noble-looking official in charge of weighing."

Xiweizi smiled slightly, then took something out of his sleeve.

It was a feather, entirely indigo, with a slight bluish tinge in the sunlight. The markings on its tail feathers resembled an eye, extremely beautiful, and exuding a powerful aura.

These are peacock tail feathers.

Xiweizi placed the peacock feather on the table and said softly, "I had a good chat with that noble weigher. It seems that although he has a temper, he shouldn't say anything in the short term."

“As for True Lord Xiyue, there are ways to delay them for now. However, Grandmaster Uncle, now that we are facing the Xiyue faction, if we explain the situation, True Lord Xiyue may not necessarily break ties with my Louguan Dao now, but we will still offend them.”

“Now that you, Grandmaster Uncle, are entangled in a vortex, the mountain gods who crave the Kunlun treasures probably don’t want to get involved in the conflict between Louguan Dao and Xiyue. You can have a period of peace, but the balance of Yin and Yang is maintained now, but it won’t last forever.”

"Grandmaster Uncle, is there any solution?"

What is the solution?

Zhou Yan pondered the three current storms: the Lord of Mount Tai, the Imperial Seal of the State, and the struggle among the Five Sacred Mountains. In this era, relying on others would ultimately lead nowhere; only by relying on oneself could one achieve true power. He was currently at the eighth rank of True Body, and needed to have two of the three forces—military lineage, Buddhism, and Taoism—meet the requirements to advance to the seventh rank and begin his attempt.

Let's see if having one-third of the Imperial Seal can directly allow him to pass the sixth-rank barrier.

The power of Buddhism has already been sufficient.

As for the lineage of military strategy, the methods of cultivation can be traced back to Shen Cangming.

However, without troops and military units, the military lineage could not reach a higher level.

The essence of Taoism requires the Taoist altar techniques.

Zhou Yan had been studying the ten lineages of the Louguan Daoist sect for some time and had already gained some insights. Having also obtained the blank Mountain God's edict, his thoughts became increasingly clear. He had a vague feeling that there was a Daoist lineage that could simultaneously fulfill two requirements, and he said:

"I've been reading through Louguan Dao's classic texts lately, and I have an idea."

"I've heard that the Taoist school has a lineage called 'Raising Soldiers and Horses'?"

Xiweizi stroked his beard and said:

"Yes, the Taoist school does indeed have the concept of 'military forces,' but it is different from the military forces of the military lineage. This military force refers to all magical and supernatural powers, including invisible winds, thunder in the sky, spirits, ghosts, and Yin soldiers, as well as the talismans passed down by the patriarchs. All things that assist the altar are military forces."

Zhou Yan asked, "Then, are there any similar to the military school of thought?"

Xiweizi's eyes swept over Zhou Yan.

During this period, Zhou Yan frantically read Taoist classics. There were many twists and turns in the ancient Taoist books. These orthodox Taoist lineages had annotations from practitioners of past generations, which Zhou Yan, an outsider, managed to barely manage to understand.

Xiweizi, however, was a true high-ranking Daoist cultivator. He had entered the mountains at a young age, focusing solely on cultivation. Many external things were of no concern to him. Though physically within the Louguan Daoist temple, his mind could roam freely. He recognized Zhou Yan's lineage at a glance and said:
"Grandmaster Uncle is planning to follow the path of Taoism instead of the military lineage."

“Using beacon towers to quell rebellions, we can command the Taoist army.”

"To balance both factions?"

Xiweizi pondered for a moment, then earnestly advised, "In this way, we can both utilize the Taoist army to unleash various methods similar to supernatural powers and spells, and have ways to deal with all kinds of situations, as well as the powerful close combat skills of the military."

"It seems like a win-win situation, but the troops of each sect require cumbersome rituals to appease them, which will occupy the cultivation of military practitioners; and the offering of troops will consume magical power regularly. Military practitioners' magical power is ordinary, and I'm afraid that all their magical power is not enough to support too many troops, let alone command them."

"In the end, I'm afraid I won't benefit from either side."

"On the contrary, the Taoist [military force] has restrained the military power, making the warriors unable to unleash their military supernatural abilities. Isn't that losing more than one gains?" Xiweizi's tone was sincere, and his intentions were earnest.

Zhou Yan said, "I just want to know."

Seeing that Zhou Yan had said this, Xiweizi stopped trying to persuade him. He stroked his beard and said, "Taoism has many major lineages that spread out from that stone tablet. As far as I know, there are three types of lineages similar to the legion."

"The Meishan sect of Xiangxi, the Lushan school, and the Maoshan method of the Shangqing sect."

With a flick of his whisk, Xiweizi unleashed a torrent of magical energy, which crisscrossed and unfolded before Zhou Yan, saying:
"The methods of the Meishan Sect are also known to the Xuan Officials outside the Daoist sect. They are the Five Barbarian Soldiers, which are divided into the Nine Yi Soldiers of the East and the Eight Barbarian Soldiers of the South, corresponding to the four directions. There are also twenty-five types of Barbarian Soldiers, used for different purposes."

"There is a rumor that the strongest army used is the residual evil energy of the dead from the ancient battle between Xuanyuan and Chiyou. It was sealed in Fengdu and lost its self-awareness. It can be mobilized by holding a talisman. Its purpose is to rouse and subdue evil spirits, and it needs to be rewarded with wine, meat and paper money regularly."

"If you indiscriminately kill ghosts or violate the precepts, you will be attacked by the soldiers."

Zhou Yan said, "Precepts, for example?"

Xiweizi smiled and said, "For example, before eating, one must first offer sacrifices to the soldiers. These soldiers are connected to the cultivators. It can be said that the precepts are all around us, and we must be careful in every action we take every day."

Zhou Yan asked, "What about the other pulses?"

Xiweizi said, "The Lushan Sect mainly uses the troops of the Three Realms and Five Camps. Unlike the Meishan Sect, it has many taboos. At the beginning of the year, they organize and deploy troops, and at the end of the year, they reward the three armies."

"Among their troops, there are [Heavenly Soldiers], who possess the spiritual essence of heaven and earth and are extremely rare; there are [Earthly Soldiers] who summon themselves, which are spirits and essences, and are more dangerous. Most of the Xuan officials are a portion of troops assigned from their sect. Although their abilities are the weakest among the three, they are safe and stable."

"The Shangqing Zongze bestows official titles based on merits and virtues."

Xiweizi explained the Daoist military lineage to Zhou Yan in detail, and also mentioned various taboos. Different military units had different taboos, and the military units had to be rewarded and worshipped at all times, otherwise they would easily suffer backlash.

Xiweizi said, "If Grandmaster Uncle wants to try the Way of the Army, go to the Scripture Pavilion. Among my ten fellow disciples of Louguan Dao in this generation, there is one who has cultivated some skills in the Way of the Army. Go find him and ask him to share some with you."

"These are all instructions passed down through generations. As long as you worship them properly, nothing will go wrong."

Zhou Yan could only sigh, for after all, it was the number one Taoist sect in the world.

Master Yuan Danqiu was also a high-ranking Taoist priest, at the sixth level of the Canxia Tower realm. He was merely a guardian deity general without any extra troops to command. Opening the Xuantan was quite difficult for him, yet the Louguan Taoist could casually say that he would share a portion with him.

They're incredibly wealthy!
The title of "ancestor" is also very useful.

Zhou Yan immediately set off, riding his big black horse all the way to the Sutra Repository.

All you need are three soybean cakes!
The kitchen staff at Louguandao will reimburse the cost of these bean cakes.

Ordinary Taoist priests are not allowed to ride horses freely within the Louguan Taoist temple, but Zhou Yan is an exception.

Unexpectedly, the one who cultivated the "military" path in Louguan Taoism was none other than the rough and unruly Wang Zhenwei. The latter had broad shoulders and a sturdy build, resembling a martial arts master from the Jianghu, with more battlefield experience than a true Taoist cultivator.

After hearing Zhou Yan's words, Wang Zhenwei burst into laughter:

"The ten branches of Louguan Dao, I never expected that my grandmaster would want to learn from me. Very well, since grandmaster has avenged us so much, I will give you a portion of my troops."

Zhou Yan breathed a sigh of relief, thanked him, and asked, "I've heard that Taoist troops are divided into three categories. I wonder which one Master Wang studied?"

Wang Zhenwei smiled casually:

“The disciples of Louguan Dao naturally have all of these interests.”

"Grandmaster Uncle, please come here."

He led Zhou Yan to the secret location, first setting up an altar and introducing himself, before taking out a talisman covered with dense golden patterns and a thick black aura. He said, "This talisman contains the ghost and spirit that a senior of mine captured when he went down the mountain a hundred years ago."

"During the chaotic period at the end of the previous dynasty, there was a fierce battle. The souls of the dead returned to the world, but the resentment, hatred, and many other thoughts of the fallen gathered in that cold and dark place and gradually took shape, causing all sorts of trouble."

"My senior went to great lengths to capture him and imprison him here. He has been transformed into a rampaging god, skilled in combat and exorcising evil spirits. He also knows some healing and hemostasis techniques, complementing your close combat skills, Grandmaster Uncle."

"But this kind of rampant god is fierce and needs to be restrained by precepts and sacrificed with blood and flesh. If the precepts are violated, there is a risk of backlash. I will set up a mystical altar, and you, my grandmaster, will fight him. Once you capture him and subdue him, things will be much easier."

Wang Zhenwei set up a mysterious altar and made a move. A shadow appeared, its upper body clad in armor and its lower body semi-transparent. It laughed heartily, "You stinking Taoist, you still want to restrain me? Keep dreaming!"

After saying that, he swayed and soared into the sky with a cloud of bloody energy.

Wang Zhenwei made a hand seal and sent the talisman into the seal. He said, "Grandmaster Uncle, I have locked onto this evil spirit. After that, you just need to find a way to wear down his evil aura and make him submit to you. Some predecessors relied on words and conversation, while others relied on fists."

"It all depends on you, Grandmaster Uncle."

Wang Zhenwei gave the talisman to Zhou Yan, which suppressed the power of the arrogant god. However, the god remained unruly. Zhou Yan pursued him relentlessly, first engaging in verbal sparring, then resorting to physical violence. They spent the entire day entangled around Zhongnan Mountain.

The arrogant god, who had transformed into a cloud, was somewhat convinced: "Good lad, good tenacity, but I won't listen to you so easily!" The sky had completely darkened, and the arrogant god planned to continue hiding.

A terrifying divine intent locked onto him.

Sensing something was wrong, the shadows in the night ahead swayed. In the darkness, which was imperceptible to the naked eye, it seemed that some terrifying being was looking down on him, majestic, terrifying, immeasurably high, immeasurably large, and carrying a terrifying killing intent.

The sheer power and murderous intent emanating from it far surpassed the concept of a rampant god.

When Zhou Yan arrived, he saw the rampaging spirit kneeling on the ground, its face deathly pale. Although it was already a ghost, it was trembling uncontrollably. It was shaking and unable to speak. Zhou Yan realized the horror ahead and looked over.

The wind blew, and the trees on the distant mountain swayed, like the mane of some terrifying being. The thick blackness swayed, like the shadow of that terrifying being. And now, the terrifying being that could make even the most ferocious god's evil aura disappear just by looking down slowly stepped forward.

The mad god let out a scream and lowered his head.

The wind stopped.

Under the moonlight, Zhou Yan saw the figure stepping out from the thick darkness.

A small, white lion cat.

"Meow~~~"

(End of this chapter)