Martial Arts Crossover: The Sweeping Monk of Wudang? That's our patriarch!

"Nephew Lianzhou, Tai Chi is formless and without shape, impermanent and unpredictable..."

Lin Daochen's few words resonated deeply. Yu Lianzhou felt a jolt, as if the clouds had parted and the moon had shone brightly, and all her entanglements crumbled away.

"Thank you for your guidance, Senior Master!"

He bowed deeply, showing his utmost sincerity.

This bow is not just a thank you, but also a sign of reverence after a sudden enlightenment.

With this, he was just one step away from becoming a terrestrial immortal.

Lin Daochen's gaze narrowed slightly, having already seen through the changes in the flow of his internal energy, and he understood.

After accepting the gift, he said calmly, "Once you break through that barrier, take a few third-generation disciples and make a trip to the Great Qin."

"Wudang is already the state religion. If you want to establish your lineage there, you are the most suitable person to go."

"I will speak to your master when he emerges from seclusion."

"Yes."

Yu Lianzhou readily agreed and turned to leave.

Just as Lin Daochen was about to open the Daoist canon and read it carefully after his figure disappeared outside the pavilion, footsteps sounded again.

It was Zhang Cuishan who arrived.

He came for the matter of talismans, his eyes full of thirst for knowledge.

When Lin Daochen created the "Supreme Talisman True Scripture," he specially made a simplified version and passed it on to his disciples. Among them, only Zhang Cuishan delved into it the most deeply. While others practiced martial arts and cultivated talismans in their spare time, he did the opposite—integrating martial arts into talismans, going further and further, and actually forging a new path.

After Lin Daochen noticed this, he gave Zhang Cuishan some pointers, which immediately helped him make rapid progress.

A quarter of an hour later, Zhang Cuishan looked enlightened, cupped his hands in farewell, and took his leave.

Lin Daochen watched him leave and then immersed himself back in the classics.

Time flowed by like water, and as the grand gathering of Taoist sects across the land approached, Zhang Sanfeng finally emerged from seclusion.

Upon hearing the news, Song Yuanqiao and his entourage rushed to Zixiao Palace to pay their respects.

But Zhang Sanfeng was stunned as soon as they met.

"You... have all become Grandmasters?"

He looked on incredulously. How long had they been in seclusion? Their auras were already incredibly powerful, and they had all entered the top ranks—they were practically skyrocketing to the top!

"It's all thanks to my senior master's help."

Song Yuanqiao respectfully replied, recounting in detail how Lin Daochen had bestowed upon him the elixir of a hundred years of internal energy.

"I see."

Zhang Sanfeng's expression was solemn. "Remember, the kindness your senior uncle has shown you is as heavy as a mountain. A single elixir is worth a hundred years of arduous cultivation; it's something you can't buy with your life. Let alone gratitude, even repaying a debt of gratitude would be insufficient to repay even a fraction of it."

"Don't worry, Master!"

The crowd responded in unison, their voices firm: "Our profound kindness, Master Uncle, is etched in our hearts and will never be forgotten!"

"Master, there's something even more astonishing..."

The youngest member, Mo Shenggu, couldn't help but interject, "If you heard this, you'd probably jump up."

"Oh?"

Zhang Sanfeng smiled and raised his eyebrows, looking like he was all ears.

But as Song Yuanqiao and the others slowly recounted their story, his smile gradually froze, and his eyes went from smiling to stunned, and from stunned to horrified.

"Above the terrestrial immortals... there are terrestrial celestial beings?"

"My senior brother killed one?"

"Shaolin's thousand-year-old foundation was destroyed in a single battle by Wudang?"

"The war between the Qin and Ming dynasties was won by my senior brother alone?"

"Wudang became the state religion of Qin? And I... even became the imperial advisor?"

The air was eerily still.

Zhang Sanfeng stood there, speechless for a long time, as if struck by lightning, his soul still trembling.

One shocking piece of news after another bombarded Zhang Sanfeng's ears, making his head buzz.

He was just in seclusion, how come the world has completely changed when he opened his eyes?

Logically speaking, after living past a hundred years old, with one foot already in the realm of a terrestrial immortal, a state of perfect tranquility should be the norm. However, this news was too explosive, with an overwhelming impact. Even with his rock-solid composure, he almost broke down on the spot.

After a long while, he slowly came to his senses, only one feeling remaining in his heart—

"Senior brother, you are truly unfathomable."

He murmured something to himself, then waved to Song Yuanqiao and the others, "You all go about your business. I'm going to the Scripture Pavilion."

Before long, a gentle breeze caressed the face in front of the Wudang Sutra Repository.

"Come in, junior brother."

Lin Daochen sat upright in the pavilion, his tone calm, as if he had known he would come.

In fact, he had already sensed Zhang Sanfeng's presence with his divine sense as soon as Zhang Sanfeng emerged from seclusion.

"Senior brother, you've made me admire you so much again."

Zhang Sanfeng shook his head with a wry smile, "My role as the leader of Wudang is becoming more and more of a figurehead position. I'm just following the path you've paved."

"Why bother with such formalities when we're brothers?"

Lin Daochen smiled faintly, then asked, "Did you achieve any breakthroughs during this seclusion?"

Zhang Sanfeng nodded: "I have gained a deeper understanding of the Way of Tai Chi."

He paused for a moment, then exclaimed sincerely, "The Tai Chi created by my senior brother is truly all-encompassing and as vast as the sea."

Lin Daochen chuckled: "Didn't I say it last time? Your path is no longer my shadow; it's your own path."

"Yes, senior brother is right."

The two exchanged a smile, needing no further words; their hearts were in sync.

After a moment, Zhang Sanfeng spoke up: "By the way, the Li Yang Dynasty is holding a grand gathering of all Daoist sects. Senior brother, are you going?"

His departure from the pass this time was precisely for this matter.

With the grand ceremony approaching, he had to set off with his disciples.

Lin Daochen shook his head: "I'm not going."

This so-called grand event, ostensibly to promote traditional values ​​and facilitate exchange, is in reality nothing more than a stage for various Taoist sects to put on airs and cultivate relationships. It's rife with formalism, and he has no interest in joining in the fun.

Instead of wasting time on those empty formalities, it would be better to stay in Wudang to study the Daoist scriptures and optimize the Spirit Gathering Array.

"Then I'll take Yuanqiao and the others there." Zhang Sanfeng wasn't surprised. "I'll temporarily entrust Wudang to my senior brother."

"Don't worry," Lin Daochen said calmly.

With him around, naturally no one would dare to lay a finger on Wudang. Even if he weren't there, Wudang's reputation was so great that who would dare to come looking for death?

Then, Lin Daochen brought up the matter of sending Yu Lianzhou to the Qin Dynasty. Zhang Sanfeng readily agreed—he was happy to see the Wudang forces expand outwards.

As the conversation was about to end, Zhang Sanfeng got up to leave, but Lin Daochen suddenly raised his hand and handed him a talisman.

"Here, this is a long-distance communication talisman I recently crafted. If you encounter anything you can't handle, crush it, and I'll receive the message immediately."

He prepared this item specifically for Zhang Sanfeng's trip—

On this journey to Liyang, we still need to handle the deal between Wudang and the King of Beiliang. That King of Beiliang is no pushover.

If the negotiations break down and a fight breaks out, Zhang Sanfeng might not be able to control the situation.

The Northern Liang King's Mansion harbors a group of ruthless individuals: a spear cultivator who can exchange his life for that of a terrestrial immortal, a top-tier swordsman in the Blade and Armor Realm, and... that old monster who was once the Sword God of Liyang.

Especially the last one, if he were to truly recover his peak strength, with Zhang Sanfeng's current cultivation level, he would probably have a hard time even running away.

Therefore, once things fall apart, Lin Daochen might have to make a trip to Liyang in person.

"clear."

Zhang Sanfeng accepted the talisman, carefully put it away, and then left.

After everyone left, Lin Daochen casually picked up an ancient book on formations and began to study it attentively, immersing himself in the profound mysteries of runes.

Two days later.

Zhang Sanfeng led his disciples, including Song Yuanqiao, away from Wudang and headed east, heading straight for the Liyang Dynasty.

Lin Daochen, however, continued his daily practice in the Sutra Repository.

……

Liyang Dynasty, Longhu Mountain.

Contemporary headmaster Zhao Danxia ventured deep into the Geological Park.

On the banks of the bottomless pool, an elderly man in an old Taoist robe holds a fishing rod and fishes quietly.

This person's surname is Zhao and given name is Huang Chao. He is a patriarch-level figure of Longhu Mountain and also an ancestor worshipped by the Liyang royal family.

Longhu Mountain's ability to maintain its position as the national religion of Liyang is not only due to its profound Taoist magic, but also because it shares the same roots as the royal family—the Zhao family is connected by blood, and they are essentially one family.

Zhao Danxia quickly approached Zhao Huangchao and asked in a low voice, "Master, will Sect Leader Sun En really come this time?"

Zhao Huangchao, his gaze never leaving the water, nodded slightly: "The reply has arrived; he will come."

Zhao Danxia's eyes lit up, unable to hide her joy: "That's great! Something big is on the horizon!"

The Sun En Sect Leader he spoke of was the head of the Celestial Masters Sect, the state religion of the Southern Dynasty. His martial arts skills were unfathomable, and he had already reached a level that ordinary people could hardly attain.

The reason why he cares so much about whether Sun En attends is because it points directly to the core plot of this World Daoist Conference—to suppress Wudang!

Behind this lies two deadly traps.

Firstly, the Ming Dynasty Wudang and the Liyang Wudang share the same lineage. As the former rose to prominence, becoming the state religion of both the Ming and Qin dynasties, the Liyang Wudang also benefited. This glory, however, was extremely glaring to Longhu Mountain.

Secondly, and most importantly, a tripartite balance of power is forming within the Taoist community.

In this world where martial arts flourished, the Taoist sects originally consisted of only two major powers, Zhengyi and Quanzhen, who stood on equal footing. However, Wudang suddenly emerged, neither relying on Zhengyi nor submitting to Quanzhen, forming its own independent entity, essentially a third force.

It's like a game of chess that was originally evenly matched, when suddenly a third player enters the fray, and no one is willing to concede to the other.

Especially at the height of Wudang's popularity in the Ming Dynasty, the people spread all sorts of incredible stories: Lin Daochen rode a crane into Qin, single-handedly quelled a war between two countries, and stopped the fighting with a single word, as if he were a god descending to earth.

More and more people are beginning to believe that Wudang is the true lineage of Taoism, and that only Wudang Taoists possess true supernatural powers.

The will of the people determines the power of discourse.

How could the Zhengyi and Quanzhen sects sit idly by? The Zhengyi sect, in particular, would be the first to be affected.

Longhu Mountain is the head of the Zhengyi sect.

In recent years, the Zhengyi sect has enjoyed unparalleled prestige; when people mention "Celestial Masters," they are the first names that come to mind. Now, however, they have been overshadowed by a rising star. How can they accept this?

This conference was hosted by Longhu Mountain. They had already secretly colluded with various Zhengyi factions, waiting for the right moment to launch a joint attack and suppress the arrogance of Wudang.

But here's the problem—

Dao Chen, that master from Wudang, is not someone to be trifled with.

The Shaolin Temple's thousand-year-old foundation was destroyed in an instant. Two celestial beings on land were both defeated by it.

If we act rashly and anger this person, who will take the blame?

Within the Zhengyi sect, the only one who could rival him was Sun En, the leader of the Celestial Masters sect!

"Master," Zhao Danxia hesitated before speaking, "Can Sect Leader Sun En really subdue True Person Dao Chen?"

He dared not act rashly. Everyone in the martial world knew that Lin Daochen's name now shook the entire realm.

If Sun En cannot control the situation, Longhu Mountain will have no choice but to back down and must not confront him head-on.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Huangchao finally raised his eyes and smiled.

"There's no need to doubt it." He said calmly, "Although Lin Daochen is strong, he's still a step behind Sun En."

"But he... once defeated two celestial beings on land." Zhao Danxia reminded him in a low voice, afraid that this ancestor had been immersed in the mountains and rivers for too long and was unaware of the changing world outside.

"You said it," Zhao Huangchao said calmly. "I know."

Seeing that Zhao Danxia still looked hesitant, he slowly put away his fishing rod, his voice deepening:

"You're too young; you haven't seen Sun En back then."

"In the past, when Taoists discussed martial arts, who did not know the name 'Celestial Master Sun En'? At that time, he was already known as the number one person in Taoism."

"Over the years, he has lived in seclusion, solely to break through to the ultimate realm of martial arts. His cultivation has already transcended the ordinary and entered sainthood."

"A celestial being on land? Sun En reached that level decades ago."

"If it weren't for the sake of the survival of my Zhengyi Sect, he would never have stepped out of the Celestial Master's Mansion."

"Don't worry, once Cult Leader Sun En arrives, even the most arrogant Lin Daochen will have to bow his head!"

Back when Sun En dominated the Daoist sects and reigned supreme, Zhao Huangchao was just an insignificant nobody. The power Sun En displayed at that time was like a heavenly tribulation descending, deeply etched into his very bones.

Even though he has long since reached the realm of terrestrial immortals, he still feels a chill whenever he recalls that scene from back then.

That kind of power—it's simply beyond human capability to resist!

In his eyes, although Lin Daochen was of the same generation and had a great reputation, he was ultimately inferior to Sun En at his peak. He was not worth mentioning.

Seeing her ancestor's unwavering resolve, Zhao Danxia's last trace of hesitation vanished.

Instead, an overwhelming excitement surged within them. The Righteous Path Sect was poised to steal the spotlight at this World Daoist Conference!