Water elemental became a god, ultimately becoming the master of heaven, earth, mountains, and rivers

Chapter 258 Recognizing Ancestors and Returning to the Clan!

"it is good!"

Upon seeing the paper crane taking flight, Chen Shunan's eyes lit up, and he clapped and cheered.

Zhao Guangxi glanced at Chen Shunan, a helpless expression on his face, and clapped his hands, praising, "Indeed, it is truly profound."

"Incredible skill! Truly divine intervention!"

Many martial artists exclaimed in amazement, some even staring in disbelief, unaware that their weapons had fallen to the ground.

Dan Tongtian, who was being coaxed into acting like a grandson by others, became even more smug.

"This is nothing, there's more to come!"

After saying that, he smiled calmly, took another piece of paper, and folded it into the shape of a broadsword in a few quick movements.

This time, he pondered for a moment, then with fingers as sharp as iron hooks, he wrote a character '坚' (jian, meaning firm/steadfast) that seemed to penetrate the paper.

The writing disappeared into the paper knife, and the originally limp paper knife made a soft 'clang' sound, and its whole body shone with a layer of metallic black light.

"Which brave warrior would like to borrow this precious sword?" Shan Tongtian looked around at the crowd.

A burly man with a full beard in the crowd couldn't contain himself any longer. He drew his fine iron broadsword from his waist and shouted, "Let me give it a try!"

Having said that, he mustered all his strength and slashed fiercely at the paper knife!

With a crisp crack, sparks flew everywhere!

Everyone stared intently, and saw that the fine iron broadsword in the hand of the burly man with the bushy beard had a chip the size of a grain of rice.

The paper knife remained completely still, its blade intact!

"Oh!"

The burly man with the bushy beard felt his hand go numb and took three steps back in horror. He stared at his chipped knife, then at the light paper knife, his face drained of color, filled with disbelief and shock.

The onlookers fell silent for a moment, then erupted into an even bigger uproar.

"This...this is simply turning paper into gold, transforming the rotten into the miraculous!"

Everyone was talking about it.

Chen Shunan seemed to sense something, his eyes gazing intently at the top of Shan Tongtian's head, or more precisely, at the location of his Niwan acupoint.

Just now, when Shan Tongtian was making paper and applying ink, he vaguely sensed a special golden light flashing across Shan Tongtian's brow.

This is what made his paper-making and ink-splashing technique effective.

“Unlike magic, it doesn’t have any fluctuations in magical power. All the wonderful methods in the world are not without source. Casting magic requires consuming magical power, so what does he consume when he uses the technique of making paper and ink?”

"Could it be lifespan? Luck? How strange..."

Chen Shunan thought to himself.

Dan Tongtian is indeed quite capable, and he also has such methods... No wonder the Zhang family of Tongzhou would choose him as my substitute; he seems to have some tricks up his sleeve.

"Once my paper-making technique takes effect, unless I disperse my intention, it cannot be burned by fire or soaked by water. If I write 'firm,' it will be indestructible; if I write 'fly,' it will roam the four seas! Even if buried in a raging furnace or at the bottom of a turbid river, it will remain completely still!"

Dan Tongtian's voice came through.

He simply flicked his sleeves, put away his belongings, and paid no attention to the admiring, astonished, and greedy gazes around him.

But the corners of his mouth turned up, and he couldn't suppress it.

Upon hearing this, Chen Shunan was stunned and taken aback.

This……

Not the best material for piling?
A paper house?!

It is sturdy and stable, and easy to dismantle afterward. Why would Zhang Ju refuse to accept it?
So it turns out that Shan Tongtian is also one of my talents, Chen!

We must protect him properly.

In that instant, Shan Tongtian, who had been jumping around and showing off everywhere, became adorable in Chen Shunan's eyes.

……

……

Calm your mind.

The commotion and undercurrents in the distance had nothing to do with Chen Shunan in the corner.

He didn't look at Shan Tongtian again, nor did he pay attention to those who were trying to curry favor or probe him.

He then looked around, as if searching for something.

However, nothing was gained.

Chen Shunan is looking for the immortal being from the Zhang family of Tongzhou, Zhang Xuling.

Now, Chen Shun'an's primordial spirit sits in the central palace, his original essence surging. Although the three refinements have not yet been combined, in terms of true meaning and primordial spirit alone, he is already not much weaker than a martial arts grandmaster.

According to the calculation method of the secular martial arts world, he had already opened his Niwan Meridian, Tiger Meridian and Dragon Tendon, each corresponding to a Three-Refined Martial Body, which would have increased his probability of breaking through to the Grandmaster realm by 20%.

Furthermore, his mastery of the Six Realms Reincarnation True Skill Diagram could increase the probability by 10% to 20%.

Based on this calculation, even before Chen Shunan began practicing the "Northern Star Extraction and Submersion Secret Method," he already had at least a 50% chance of breaking through to the Martial Arts Grandmaster level.

Now, with [Beichen] at its peak, the probability can increase by at least 20%.

That's 70%!

If it were any other martial artist, they would have thought they had stumbled upon incredible luck and rushed to break through.

Seventy percent?

That's called guaranteed success!

But for Chen Shunan, it was still somewhat risky.

You need to be at least 99% certain before you dare to take a risky move.

After all, Chen Shunan's threshold of "exhausting yin impurities and extinguishing corpse energy" is more solid and harder to cross than that of ordinary people.

and……

Chen Shunan felt he could no longer hide it.

Humans cannot measure or speculate about existences beyond their own comprehension.

Chen Shunan still has many questions about the abilities and supernatural powers of the Qi-gathering immortals.

Who knows what kind of supernatural abilities or karmic calculations the other party might possess?

He was confident that his ability to conceal his aura was enough to deceive the [Pulse Opening] Immortals.

However, for immortals like Wu Wudi and Pan Hu, who come from the four major academies and have profound backgrounds in Qi gathering, there is little confidence in hiding their abilities.

This time, in the Grandmaster Image Library, we might just come face to face with these "Qi Gathering" techniques, and we might accidentally get our boxes opened!

Therefore, we must 'self-destruct' in advance to solidify our backing by the Zhang family of Tongzhou and cling to their coattails!
Mr. Zhao, you can't hold on any longer and can't carry me, Mr. Chen.

Mr. Chen had no choice but to find a better master.

Therefore, at this moment, Chen Shunan had a thought, and a trace of the restrained blood and qi around his body leaked out. Divine light shone brightly in his Niwan acupoint, and a powerful divine soul force burst forth.

"what?"

Sure enough, a voice filled with surprise and uncertainty came from the void.

Almost simultaneously, the void above Chen Shunan's head distorted, and an irresistible, gentle force enveloped him.

In a flash, he was no longer in Niulingping, but atop a solitary peak shrouded in mist. The surrounding scenery froze, and the sounds of wind and people vanished, as if isolated by an invisible barrier.

A middle-aged Taoist priest, dressed in simple clothes and with an ancient appearance, was standing in front of him at some point, carrying a pair of swords on his back, a palm hat on his shoulder, and a turtle shell in his hand.

Upon seeing this person's appearance, Chen Shunan was immediately inspired and performed a disciple's salute, bowing respectfully.

"I, Chen Shunan, an unfilial son-in-law of Zhangzhuang, Wuqing, have come to pay my respects to Master Zhang."

The Zhang family of Tongzhou is a celestial clan, and the main lineage of Tai Xuan Zhi Ling Peak in Aoshan Taoist Academy. The clan is numerous and its members have spread far and wide, with generations of people changing their generational order and even the order of grandfather and grandson being reversed.

So if you really address someone by their generation, you'd have to pull out the family tree anytime and anywhere and compare the two.

Therefore, for the sake of brevity, all clansmen related to the Zhang family of Tongzhou are referred to as Master Zhang when facing the immortals of the Zhang family.

Besides referring to Master Zhang, it also implies the roles of senior uncle and senior master, subtly conveying the wish that future generations can also enter the path of immortality.

Therefore, Chen Shunan can be said to have taken advantage of the situation by proactively placing himself in the position of Zhang Xuling's junior.

If it were any other immortal, even if Chen Shunan wanted to curry favor, he would have catered to their preferences, proceeded gradually, and even staged a scene like, "Uncle, I heard you don't have any children. If you don't mind, I'm willing to take care of you in your old age."

But for Zhang Xuling, who had shown him goodwill many times before and even had a stand-in to draw attention to him, there was no need for such trouble.

Let's start the worship!
Recognizing one's ancestors and returning to one's roots!

Zhang Xuling remained noncommittal in response to Chen Shunan's address, but after scanning Chen Shunan with his divine sense... Hmm? Something felt off.

Then I took another look.

"Um?!"

The next instant, Zhang Xuling's gaze fell upon him, his emerald green eyes shimmering with spiritual light, enveloping Chen Shunan like mist, and swirling around him.

"Indeed, you have reached your current level, and you have been diligent in your cultivation."

Zhang Xuling's face twitched almost imperceptibly before he calmly asked,
"How long have you been practicing the 'Flesh Immortal Cultivation'?"

Strange, this Master Zhang knows my current level of spiritual cultivation, yet he only thinks it's 'not bad'?
As Chen Shunan had predicted, Zhang Xuling was shocked beyond words after revealing his true talent. Unlike his reaction of finding a priceless treasure, Zhang Xuling was indeed an enlightened immortal, whose state of mind and vision far surpassed those of others.

Chen Shunan immediately suppressed the slight arrogance in his heart and honestly replied,

"It has been thirteen years..."

"Thirteen years, the true meaning is perfected, the primordial spirit is manifested, it's not bad."

"For the first twelve years and six months, I lived in a daze, unaware of my destiny, and was only a late-stage third-rate cultivator. In the last six months, I learned from my mistakes and became courageous, achieving great things late in life, and successively broke through to the Jade Tree and True Meaning realms, reaching my current level of cultivation."

“…Oh, that’s not bad either.” Zhang Xuling’s tone was inexplicable, and he suddenly changed the subject.

"Now it seems that you have at least a 70% chance of breaking through to the Martial Arts Grandmaster level... But I suggest that you find the remnant of Tie Yu in the Grandmaster's Manual, and learn by analogy, to increase your chances by a few more points. It's not too late to break through when you are completely confident."

"This year's year-end is a major event. Although it is of an unusually large scale due to the Qianning Mission's visit to the Sage, and there are many unexpected changes, things will work out in a hurry. Flowing water does not compete for the first place, but for the continuous flow. You must not waste the hard-earned results of your cultivation by fighting for the sake of fighting."

Disaster?
Chen Shunan blinked.

To be honest, he has benefited from the divine guidance he has received many times since he started practicing martial arts, as well as the help of figures like Ma Xiucai. In his spare time, he can also discuss the Dao with Qingchen and have Wanniang massage his shoulders.

He didn't really find it that difficult.

Sometimes when I get tired of reading, I feel sleepy and like to sleep.

Zhang Xuling continued speaking.

"Moreover, I won't hide it from you. The remnant of a Grandmaster left behind by Tie Yu has never been obtained by anyone in more than two hundred years... If you seize it, my Aoshan Dao Academy will have ample reason to occupy this [Qi Mother Yuan Iron Mine]. Not only will it increase the academy's resources, but with the balance of power, we can also gain a head start in terms of fortune."

Although Chen Shunan didn't know exactly what this [Qi Mother Iron Ore] was, he understood it now.

No wonder the three major Taoist academies value the Grandmaster Records so much, and even sent the Qi-gathering immortals here on a special trip.

It turns out that the three major academies had other interests to seek besides cultivating the seeds of grandmasters.

As I said before, Chen Shunan is not afraid of being used by others, but he is afraid of being worthless and just a disposable consumable.

Legend has it that those immortals who changed the world and manipulated creation, when they first entered the Dao, weren't they just searching for immortal mountains and serving as fan-wielding fire-controlling attendants?

"It seems I need to work harder and prove my worth."

Chen Shunan thought to himself silently.

After all, he really wanted to improve!

Therefore, Chen Shunan spoke righteously and eloquently.

"I, Chen, will do my utmost to serve the Zhang family of Tongzhou!"

Chen Shunan did not mention Aoshan Taoist Temple.

After all, it was foreseeable that Aoshan Dao Academy was also a complex and intertwined power structure, and it was not just Taixuan Zhiling Peak that was dominant.

If you flaunt such a large tiger skin, you might end up hurting the horse's leg.

Instead, narrowing down the scope and identifying themselves as the Zhang family of Tongzhou would be more appropriate and less likely to go wrong.

This is the art of words!

Sometimes, even a difference of just one word can make a world of difference!

As expected, Zhang Xuling smiled with satisfaction upon hearing this, finding Chen Shunan more and more pleasing to the eye.

"This young man is cautious and prudent, and he is good at assessing situations. He has some of my style from back then... What a coincidence."

Zhang Xuling naturally knew that Chen Shunan probably had other opportunities and was quite fortunate to have risen so quickly.

But on the grand stage of the Holy Dynasty, if you are not destined to come, then don't.

Those who can enter the Dao and ascend to immortality, or even cultivate to the level of "gathering Qi," all have some hidden tricks up their sleeves.

Some opportunities may seem tempting, but they are actually full of pitfalls. If you snatch them without understanding the details and the cause and effect, you may end up losing them!
Just now, Zhang Xuling used his divine eye to examine Chen Shunan inside and out, but only briefly, confirming one thing.

That was indeed the martial art Chen Shunan practiced, "Flesh Immortal".

It is genuine and of the highest quality, without any flaws.

This is enough.

In Zhang Xuling's eyes, origin, bloodline, and background are all unimportant.

The important thing is whether one has cultivated this "Flesh Immortal" technique.

In the world of cultivation, cultivation techniques correspond to "Dharma Lineages." Under the Dharma Lineages, all cultivators protect and support them.

They are all in the same boat, for if one prospers, all prosper; if one suffers, all suffer.

This connection is even closer than that between blood relatives.

"Oh, I should have covered for you, otherwise if those two old devils saw you, they would definitely have a fight with me."

Suddenly, Zhang Xuling thought of something and casually tossed the turtle shell in his hand. The turtle shell instantly burst into a dazzling light, its mystery as deep as an abyss. It grew larger and larger in the blink of an eye, splitting into more than twenty streams that flew into the bodies of all the martial artists under the command of Aoshan Dao Academy, including Chen Shunan, Shan Tongtian, Zhang Xiangling, and Zhao Guangxi.

Suddenly, Chen Shunan felt a weight on his body, as if he were being pressed down by some strange treasure. His destiny, cultivation methods, realm, and everything else became blurry and unclear, like looking at flowers through fog.

The turtle shell in Zhang Xuling's hand is called the [Guicang Secret Escape Armor]. It is a superior magic artifact. Its main body is the carapace of a six-hundred-year-old spirit turtle. It is black in color and has natural patterns that correspond to the Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams.

After years of refinement by Zhang Xuling, and even with the help of the ancestor of Tai Xuan Zhi Ling Peak to impose the Earthly Fiend Restriction, it finally took shape.

Once activated, it can suppress a person's aura and conceal their origins, just like hiding a mountain in a great marsh and blending into all things. Unless one's realm is far superior to Zhang Xuling's, it is extremely difficult for others to discern.

Of course, this is just 'suppressing fate' and doesn't involve the level of cause and effect.

【Gathering Qi】Without knowing cause and effect.

(End of this chapter)