I'm already a Great Luo Golden Immortal, how come you're only Martial Saints?

Upon entering the room, it was only six feet square, dark and cramped, containing only a broken bed and two old stools.

The old Taoist priest invited Ning Chen to take a seat, but he himself dared not sit down. He stood respectfully to the side with his hands at his sides, his face no longer bearing any trace of his previous ethereal demeanor, only a deep bitterness remained.

"With the immortal here, this humble Taoist dares not conceal anything..."

Zhang Qingxuan's voice carried a weariness born from a profound understanding of life and death.

"I am the seventh generation leader of the Zhengyi Sect of Zhongnan Mountain..."

He paused, his eyes revealing endless sorrow.

"In the past, when the Yellow Turban Rebellion broke out, although our Zhengyi Sect was not a major sect, we still had the heart to save the world. We answered the imperial court's call and mobilized the entire sect to go down the mountain to eliminate the demons and protect the righteous path. However, the Yellow Turban rebels were powerful and the imperial court was corrupt. Our sect's elite disciples, along with our cave dwellings and foundations, were all destroyed in the war. Only I, a humble Taoist, managed to escape by chance, but I was also seriously injured. My lifespan is less than two years."

The old Taoist priest extended two withered fingers, his tone calm yet conveying endless desolation.

Ning Chen listened quietly, his divine sense stirring slightly. He had confirmed that what the old Taoist said was true. His life force was exhausted and his primordial spirit was dim. He was indeed like a candle flickering in the wind, his life was not long.

He increasingly realized how farsighted it was that Bodhi Patriarch had advised him before he left the mountain not to get involved in the wars of dynastic change.

A perfectly good Taoist sect is about to face the extinction of its lineage simply because it was caught up in the great calamity of the mortal world and the change of dynasties. This shows that the consequences of getting involved in the calamities of the mortal world are no small matter.

"If you only have two years left to live, how will you lead them to Zhongnan Mountain and guide them into the Daoist path...?"

Ning Chen looked displeased and tapped the armrest lightly with his fingertips.

Although his companions weren't very skilled, they were still somewhat useful.

For example, when they fought the demon at Flower Fruit Mountain last time, without their strong support, he and his senior brother Sun Wukong, along with all the monkey soldiers on the mountain, might not have been a match for that Demon King.

Both morally and logically, he could not stand by and watch his comrade go to his death.

The old Taoist priest grew increasingly apprehensive.

"I came down the mountain for two reasons: first, to seek a glimmer of hope, and second, to..."

Zhang Qingxuan looked through the broken window at Tang Hao and the others waiting outside.

"I want to find a few successors for my Zhengyi Sect, to preserve its lineage and tradition, so that it won't be completely cut off by my humble sect. Otherwise, I would have no face to meet my ancestors in the afterlife..."

He looked at Ning Chen, his eyes filled with pleading and shame.

"I happened to meet my friend Tang Hao. Although he has no foundation in the Dao, he is pure of heart and has remarkable talent. In particular, he mentioned a 'walker' who can transform his enlightenment on his own, which is something I have never heard of before. Such a person is the best choice to inherit the Dao lineage. So I had selfish thoughts and used the Nine Revolutions Rejuvenating Elixir Method to lure him into becoming my disciple."

He bowed deeply and gave Ning Chen another deep bow.

"However, the Immortal's cultivation has reached the Nascent Soul Realm, far beyond what I can imagine. My meager cultivation and the methods I have taught are probably not worth a laugh in the eyes of the Immortal. I am now exhausted and have no strength left to even guide them safely back to the Zhongnan Mountain Daoist Temple. This place is still hundreds of miles away from Zhongnan Mountain, a dangerous road. In this chaotic world, there is war, demons and bandits. If they go alone, they will surely die."

Zhang Qingxuan raised his head, his eyes filled with earnestness and entrustment, and with a final hope.

"Immortal, have mercy! I humbly entrust these few ignorant disciples, along with the last remaining hopes of my Zhengyi Sect, to you! I hope that you will take pity on them, considering our shared Daoist lineage, and guide them. If you can ensure their safe arrival at our ancestral home in Zhongnan Mountain, where they may witness the legacy of our patriarch, I will be eternally grateful, even in death!"

"Upon arriving at the ancestral temple, you may freely use anything within the sect!"

After saying this, Zhang Qingxuan bowed deeply once again.

This bow was for the sake of his upright sect leader, and for the dying embers of his lineage...

Ning Chen did not agree rashly, and narrowed his eyes slightly.

Does Zhengyi Sect allow him to take whatever he wants?

With his comprehension, he could easily comprehend all the Daoist texts in the world, so it would be worthwhile to go and see for himself.

Moreover, his experience of this mortal tribulation was purely spontaneous and without a clear purpose.

Before he left, the patriarch gave him instructions that he kept in mind: he should neither participate in the change of dynasties nor in large-scale wars. Since he had nothing to do anyway, he might as well go to Zhongnan Mountain.

He vaguely remembered that both the Quanzhen and Zhengyi sects were located in the Zhongnan Mountains area. He thought it best to go and see just how far the Taoist traditions had developed in the world...

Moreover, if this old Taoist priest had any designs on his companions, he could detect it immediately and eliminate them...

Finally, Ning Chen nodded slightly.

"good!"

........

At dawn the next day, the group, having rested, embarked on their journey to Zhongnan Mountain.

Just as they stepped out of the city gate, a burly man wearing a tattered straw hat and with an unusually large build suddenly stepped forward and blocked the group's path.

Everyone was startled and instinctively became wary.

But then the burly man revealed his snow-white teeth, took off his straw hat, revealing a conspicuous bald head and a face full of fat that everyone was familiar with.

There's only one person I know who has built muscles to this extent.

The bald, burly man grinned and enthusiastically opened his arms.

"Hahaha! Classmates! Long time no see, have you missed me?"

"Teacher Luo!"

Everyone, including the usually composed Ning Chen, was stunned and exclaimed in unison.

The person before me was none other than Luo Zhantian, who had been silent for more than half a year, as if he had vanished from the face of the earth!

Old Luo chuckled, waved his hand, and pulled the still somewhat bewildered crowd to the side of the road.

"Hehe, didn't expect that, did you guys?"

He lowered his voice, with a hint of mystery and smugness.

"To tell you the truth, your teacher actually entered the first level of the Divine Realm six months ago! For the past six months, I've been protecting you all from the shadows! How about that, aren't you moved?"

After a brief moment of shock, everyone's faces showed expressions of disbelief.

"Secret protection?"

Sun Rongrong glanced at it.

"Teacher Luo, where were you when I was almost captured by the marauding soldiers?"

Wu Dajin was even more outspoken.

"Teacher Luo, we haven't even noticed your secret care. Even a little gold or silver would have made our lives much easier!"

Although Qian Quan and Zhou Tao didn't speak, their silent nods clearly indicated that they agreed with their classmates' statements.

Luo was mercilessly ridiculed by everyone, leaving him speechless and blushing. He rubbed his hands together and chuckled.

"Well, the journey is long and communication is slow, hehe. Mainly, you guys haven't made much of a fuss, and you haven't said anything in the group chat, so I haven't been paying much attention! But when I saw you all gathered in Luoyang yesterday, I rushed over! Your teacher's feelings are absolutely genuine!"

Everyone shook their heads helplessly, knowing that it was pointless to argue with Lao Luo, who was so shameless.

"Where are you all going? So many of you together, and you even dragged Ning Chen along?"

Tang Hao briefly told Lao Luo about his plans to go to the ancestral temple of the Zhengyi Sect in Zhongnan Mountain to learn martial arts, and about Ning Chen accompanying and escorting him.

Lao Luo immediately said that he wanted to go together.

He returned to the first level of the Journey to the West Divine Realm with this very idea in mind.

Having witnessed Ning Chen lead everyone through the second level, the restlessness in his heart was already beyond calm.

He had a premonition that he would break through to the Grandmaster realm at this very moment!

However, upon hearing this, Zhang Qingxuan frowned deeply.

He stroked his sparse white beard, looked Luo Zhantian up and down a few times, and spoke with undisguised disdain.

"My valiant warrior, please forgive my bluntness, but your appearance is rugged and your aura is mixed, which is far removed from the principles of tranquility, non-action, and self-cultivation of my Taoist sect. Moreover, the ancestral home of my Zhengyi sect is a place of quiet cultivation, not a gathering place for roughnecks from the martial world. It is truly inconvenient for me to take you with me."

The old Taoist priest's tone was resolute, clearly indicating that he was extremely unwilling to let Lao Luo, this roughneck, go along.

Luo was speechless after being rebuked by the old Taoist priest.

What do you mean by a rough face and mixed aura? I am a Grandmaster of the Ninth Rank of Innate Realm. Do you even know what I'm talking about?

If you lack manners, Teacher Luo here also has some martial arts skills.

His eyes widened, and he was about to lash out, using his fists the size of sandbags to force the old Taoist priest to confess.

But seeing the old Taoist's weak breath, and the fact that he could knock the old man to the ground with one punch, he held back.

If we really kill the old Taoist priest, how will we get to Zhongnan Tower?