One person: Senior brother Zhang Zhiwei, the Celestial Master begged me to descend the mountain.

Inside the main hall, the air was filled with the fragrance of incense.

The heavy vermilion gate slowly closed, shutting out the noise from outside with a muffled clang.

The light inside the hall was dim, with only the ever-burning lamp in front of the ancestral master's tablet flickering with orange flames, casting long shadows on the bluestone floor that looked particularly menacing.

Zhang Zhiwei stood before the statue of the patriarch, his back to the crowd, his figure towering like an insurmountable mountain.

Behind him, Wang Ai, Lü Ci, and several other members of the Ten Elders stood on both sides. Although they were sitting, they all stood up straight, with their buttocks only touching half of the chair surface. Their eyes flickered, revealing a sense of tension and anticipation.

After all, this is a Celestial Master's ordination.

That legendary thing, which may even hold the ultimate secret of the Jia Shen Rebellion.

And in the center of the main hall.

Zhang Chulan stood there all alone.

He kept his head down, his bangs obscuring his eyes, making it impossible to see his expression. Only his hands, hanging at his sides, were tightly gripping the hem of his clothes.

Zhang Taichu was still casually leaning against a vermilion lacquered pillar, and he even pulled out an apple from somewhere and was crunching on it.

The crisp chewing sound was particularly jarring in the solemn hall.

Wang Ai frowned, but didn't dare to say anything.

"Zhang Chulan".

After a long while, Zhang Zhiwei finally turned around.

His face was more serious than ever before, his usual amiable demeanor completely gone, replaced by the supreme majesty of a Celestial Master.

"Kneel down."

The two words, though not loud, carried an undeniable power.

Zhang Chulan's body trembled slightly.

No immediate action was taken.

"What's wrong?"

Zhang Zhiwei frowned slightly, his voice lowering a few decibels:

"Having come this far, are you still going to hesitate?"

"By accepting the Heavenly Master's ordination, you will become the next Heavenly Master."

"Everything you want to know, all the truths you want to uncover, are in here."

talking.

Zhang Zhiwei slowly raised his right hand.

Om-!

A strange ripple spread out.

Suddenly, a dazzling golden light shone brightly in his palm.

The golden light wasn't dazzling, but it appeared unusually viscous, like liquefied gold, or like a living thing, slowly flowing and wriggling between Zhang Zhiwei's fingers and palms.

Just a glance.

The ten elders present felt their breath catch in their throats.

Wang Aina tightened her grip on her cane, her eyes widening in a greedy gleam that seemed to overflow from their sockets.

This is... the Celestial Master's Blessing!

This is the fundamental reason why Longhu Mountain has been passed down for thousands of years!

"Come."

Zhang Zhiwei stepped forward, and the golden light in his hand slowly imprinted itself onto Zhang Chulan's brow.

"Eliminate distracting thoughts and open your mind."

"Accept this...legacy."

The golden light drew ever closer.

The light shone on Zhang Chulan's face, turning his features golden.

Zhang Chulan's body trembled more and more violently.

His breathing became rapid, and his chest heaved violently.

Just as that golden light was less than three inches away from his brow.

Swish!

Zhang Chulan suddenly raised his head.

Those eyes were bloodshot, yet they radiated an unprecedented determination and madness.

"I don't!"

A roar exploded from deep within his throat.

Followed by.

As if electrocuted, Zhang Chulan suddenly retreated, almost tumbling and crawling back three or four meters.

"This Taoist priest..."

Zhang Chulan gasped for breath, pointing at the golden light, his voice hoarse:

"I won't do it!"

Ga?

The air in the hall seemed to freeze for a moment.

Wang Ai's mouth, which had just opened wide, froze in mid-air, and her jaw almost dislocated.

Lu Ci's single eye suddenly contracted, and he looked at Zhang Chulan with disbelief.

crazy?

Is this kid crazy?

He had a chance to rise to the top in one step, and he actually refused it?

Even Zhang Taichu, who was munching on an apple, paused slightly, then a meaningful smile appeared on his lips before he took another bite.

"What did you say?"

Zhang Zhiwei's hand froze in mid-air.

He looked at Zhang Chulan, who had retreated to a distance, and the look in his eyes slowly changed from astonishment to anger.

That was the anger of disappointment and frustration.

Do you know what you're saying?

Zhang Zhiwei's voice turned cold, and the surrounding air seemed to drop several degrees in that instant.

"I said I won't do it!"

Zhang Chulan stiffened his neck, and although his legs were shaking, his eyes showed no sign of wavering:

"My lord, what I want is the truth!"

"What I want is the truth about what happened to my grandfather back then, the truth about the Jia Shen Rebellion!"

"If one becomes this master of divination, one must keep one's mouth shut and become a riddle master like you..."

"Then this so-called Taoist master wouldn't even be a dog!"

boom!

A terrifying aura instantly erupted from Zhang Zhiwei.

His golden robes fluttered and rustled even without wind.

The originally gentle golden light suddenly surged, transforming into golden chains that danced wildly in the air.

"presumptuous!"

Zhang Zhiwei's angry shout was like a thunderclap, making the entire hall vibrate.

"Is this something you can bargain about?"

"To protect you, to ensure your survival, for those unspeakable secrets..."

Zhang Zhiwei took a step forward.

Boom!

The ground trembled.

The oppressive aura of a top-tier expert pressed down on Zhang Chulan like a mountain.

"You have to accept this Heavenly Master's ordination today, whether you like it or not!"

"That's not up to you!"

Before he could finish speaking...

Zhang Zhiwei formed his five fingers into claws, and the golden light that filled the sky instantly transformed into a giant golden palm, descending upon Zhang Chulan.

This is an attempt to forcibly transmit the Dharma!

Under this oppressive force, Zhang Chulan was completely unable to move and could only watch helplessly as the golden hand descended, his eyes filled with despair.

Wang Ai, Lü Ci, and the others held their breath, their hearts pounding.

The old master is getting serious!

Is this the ultimate strength?

The mere aura emanating from them made the group of ten elders feel suffocated.

however.

Just as the golden hand was about to touch Zhang Chulan's crown, at the critical moment...

A lazy voice suddenly rang out behind Zhang Zhiwei.

"Hey, Lao Zhang."

"Isn't your business a bit too shady?"

Immediately afterwards, a large foot wearing a tattered cloth shoe appeared behind him without warning.

There were no fancy moves.

There were no earth-shattering fluctuations in Qi.

It was just an ordinary kick, like kicking a stray dog ​​on the street.

boom--! ! !

Under the horrified gazes of everyone.

The old Celestial Master Zhang Zhiwei, who stood at the pinnacle of the world of supernatural beings and was known as the ultimate master, was just now majestic and like a god or demon.

He was sent flying like a cannonball!

call out--

Boom!

Zhang Zhiwei's body slammed hard against the altar where the ancestral master was enshrined.

The sturdy mahogany altar table shattered into pieces in an instant, sending wood chips flying everywhere.

Even the ancestral tablet was shaken so much that it jumped up and crashed to the ground with a thud.

Dust flew everywhere.

The entire hall fell into a deathly silence.

"Cough cough cough..."

Amidst the ruins, Zhang Zhiwei, covered in dust and dirt, crawled to his feet.

He clutched his buttocks, his golden crown askew, his old face filled with disbelief and... a hint of grievance.

"Junior brother! You..."

"What do you mean, 'you'?!"

Zhang Taichu stood where Zhang Zhiwei had just stood and slowly retracted his right foot.

He patted off non-existent dust from his trousers, then pointed at Zhang Zhiwei's nose and launched into a tirade of abuse:

"Old man, are you getting more and more regressive as you get older?"

"The child has already said they don't want to, and you're still forcing them to buy it?"

"What's up? Is this Celestial Master's Ordination some kind of hot commodity?"

"This piece of junk is a restriction! It's a seal that turns you mute!"

Zhang Taichu spat as he spoke, his face filled with disgust:

"You treat this child like a treasure, and not only are you a riddle teller, but you also want to turn this child mute?"

"Ask yourself, was this done ethically?"

Zhang Zhiwei opened his mouth, wanting to refute, but found himself speechless.

more importantly.

My butt...it really hurts.

Junior brother's kick showed absolutely no mercy.

After criticizing Zhang Zhiwei.

Zhang Taichu slowly turned around.

Those half-closed, dead-fish eyes slowly swept over the ten elders present.

Those whose gaze swept over him all felt a chill run down their spines, as if they were being stared at by a ferocious beast.

Wang Ai tried to pick up the cane from the ground, but found that her hands were shaking so badly that she couldn't hold it.

"Did you see clearly?"

Zhang Taichu pointed at Zhang Zhiwei, who was still rubbing his buttocks in the ruins, his voice eerily calm:

"This is what happens."

"The so-called rules, the so-called traditions, the so-called pinnacle..."

"In my eyes, it's not even a fart."

talking.

Zhang Taichu slowly raised his hand, palm down.

"Starting today."

"I'll protect Zhang Chulan."

"He can investigate whatever he wants."

"He doesn't want to be a Taoist priest, and anyone who dares to force him..."

boom!!!

Zhang Taichu pressed his palm down sharply.

There was no contact whatsoever.

But the bluestone ground beneath his feet, along with the nearly 100-square-meter area in the center of the hall.

It collapsed instantly!

Countless stones were reduced to dust, and the ground was pressed down by more than a foot!

The entire hall shook violently, as if it were about to collapse at any moment.

The smoke and dust cleared.

Only the paving stone where Zhang Taichu was standing remained intact.

He stood there, like a god or a demon.

"Whether it's you Ten Elders, or the Quanxing, or any other sect."

"Anyone who dares to reach out their hand..."

"That kick just now was a demonstration for you."

"I don't want to die."

"Now, immediately, right away."

"roll!"

The word "get out" carried a terrifying surge of energy, which smashed open the vermilion doors of the main hall.

The sunlight streamed in from outside.

But it couldn't warm the cold, fearful hearts of the Ten Elders.

This... is the real monster!

A monster that even Zhang Zhiwei could kick away with one kick!

Wang Ai didn't even bother with her crutches and scrambled out of the room.

Lu Ci didn't dare linger for even a second longer, and ran away with his head down.

The other members of the Ten Elders also scattered like birds and beasts, wishing they had more legs.

In the blink of an eye.

The main hall, which was originally crowded with important figures, is now completely empty.

All that remained was a scene of utter devastation.

And there was the old Taoist priest, still rubbing his backside in the ruins, with a bitter smile on his face.