This martial saint is too cautious.

Chapter 362 Taiqing Water Moon (Seeking monthly votes for further reading)

The courtyard of the inn.

"Senior Brother Gu, what is this person's background?"

At this moment, Chu Jun and the others surrounded Gu Xun, their faces full of curiosity.

That person is too strong. Facing a half-step Dharma Aspect expert, he simply said, "Your father and I have talked about you."

Who could stand such words?

Chu Jun and the others couldn't help but wonder, if they encountered such a person and he suddenly said, "I was talking about you when I met your father last time," how would that be any different from saying, "I used to hold you when you were little, and you were naughty and peed on me"?

They're forcing a generational change on you.

Most importantly, if it were someone their father was around the same age, they could barely accept it, but that person—even if he maintained his appearance, he probably wouldn't be older than forty.

"What do you think of their background, Chu Jun?"

Gu Xun didn't answer, but looked at Chu Jun, whose face was deathly pale.

"Before we came out this time, I kept telling you not to cause trouble. Ziyun Sect is indeed a major sect in Shandong Province, but can the situation be the same when Taiqing Palace opens its gates? I don't know how many martial artists from major sects will appear. If it weren't for Brother Lin's intervention this time, neither of you would have been able to leave unscathed."

Chu Jun's face showed bitterness: "Senior Brother Gu, I know I was wrong. I shouldn't have complained before."

"As your senior brother, I hope you can remember this lesson, otherwise you might lose your lives for it one day. In martial arts, talent alone is not enough; you also need to live a long life."

Gu Xun didn't continue speaking. He glanced at his two junior sisters, who looked on with curiosity, and finally laughed.

"Can't you think about it? In the entire Shandong region, who else would I treat so attentively, and who is even younger than me, my senior brother? Most importantly, he is surnamed Lin."

"It's Lin Yan!"

Tan Meng answered immediately.

Actually, she had already guessed it on the way back. She hadn't dared to guess in this direction before, but she didn't expect that person to be a Dharma Aspect expert.

To be able to have an equal conversation with a father who is at the half-step Dharma Aspect level, one must also be a Dharma Aspect level expert oneself.

Surname Lin, and so young —

There was only one person in the entire Shandong Province who met the requirements.

hiss!

Chu Jun and the other young man both gasped at the same time, ignoring the pain in their faces from the injury as they inhaled, their eyes fixed on their senior brother.

"That's right."

Looking at the expectant eyes of his junior brothers and sisters, who were waiting for his verification, Gu Xun smiled and nodded heavily.

Chu Jun:

Tan Meng:

Laoshan Mountain.

A mountain range overlooked by the martial arts world.

Lin Yan stepped into the air and stared intently.

On one side of the mountain range, clouds and mist rise from the sea, go straight up, cross the ridge, and then cascade down another cliff, looking from a distance like white waterfalls hanging upside down between the sky.

As the morning light merges with the clouds, the entire Laoshan mountain range resembles a celestial mountain above a sea of ​​clouds.

"Brother Lin, I have been to Laoshan once. In terms of scenery, it is in no way inferior to the mountains occupied by other top sects. However, Taiqing Palace has been secluded from the world for a long time, and most martial artists are afraid of breaking taboos and rarely actually set foot in the Laoshan area. On the contrary, it is the local ordinary people who climb Laoshan more often."

Seeing Lin Yan looking around at Laoshan, Gu Xun smiled and began to introduce it to him.

"Laoshan is a rare mountain range where mountains meet the sea, offering views of the sea and clouds. Its sea of ​​clouds is a spectacular sight. If Brother Lin has nothing else to do, you can stay in Laoshan for a while longer. Given your status, Taiqing Palace will certainly welcome you warmly."

In Gu Xun's view, Lin Yan was staring at Laoshan because he was attracted by its beautiful scenery.

Indeed, Laoshan has a beautiful landscape, and Lin Yan was also attracted by it. However, he did not forget the main purpose of his trip to Laoshan, which was to observe where Tianyin Valley might be located.

"Watching the beautiful sea of ​​clouds and listening to the sounds of nature are truly refreshing. I recently came across a valley where the sounds of nature resonated, like heavenly music. I just don't know if there is such a place in Laoshan."

Lin Yan smiled and said, "Since Gu Xun knows something about Laoshan, why not try to find some clues from him?"

"In places like this, Laoshan area—"

"I know a place where it is."

Chu Jun, who was following behind, quickly spoke up. When he saw Lin Yan turn around, his expression became somewhat excited: "Although my family..."

It's not in Langya Prefecture, but it's right next door. Some people from the prefecture have been to Laoshan Mountain, and they say that there's a scenic spot inside Taiqing Palace called Taiqing Water Moon. There are waterfalls, streams, and countless birds and beasts there. Stepping into this place—you can hear a hundred different sounds.

Taiqing Water Moon.

Lin Yan noted down this place; the Heavenly Sound Fruit was very likely located here.

Fortunately, Taiqing Palace has opened its gates to the public this time. According to Taiqing Palace's previous rules of seclusion, martial artists are not welcome to the mountain, so it would be difficult for me to go to Taiqing Shuiyue.

Although he was already at the sixth level of the Void Realm, Lin Yan did not believe that he could hide it from the experts of the Taiqing Palace.

The Taiqing Palace has only thirty-two martial artists left, yet it is still able to be called one of the three great martial arts sects along with the Taiyi Sword Sect and the Taixuan Palace, which speaks volumes about its strength.

Taiqing Palace opened its mountain gates, allowing outsiders to enter the Taiqing Altar. At this moment, people were coming up the mountain in an endless stream. There were martial artists like Lin Yan who walked on air, as well as early-stage True Qi martial artists who climbed the steps from the foot of the mountain.

These martial artists don't necessarily have to ascend the Taiqing Divine Altar, but it's not bad to take this opportunity to watch the excitement.

Fifteen minutes later.

Lin Yan and his group landed in the square in front of the Taiqing Hall in front of the Taiqing Palace.

In the center of the square, which is a thousand feet in diameter, stand nine stone pillars, each carved from the unique bluestone of Laoshan. The pillars are engraved with cloud patterns, which seem to echo the sea of ​​clouds floating above Laoshan at this moment.

At this moment, clouds and mist continuously overflowed from these nine stone pillars, and these clouds and mist gathered at the center of the stone pillars, forming a cloud and mist space.

Lin Yan tried to use his senses to explore, but his soul was immediately absorbed as soon as it touched the clouds and mist, making it difficult to advance even a fraction further.

Lin Yan immediately withdrew his senses after his soul was devoured. Just then, a middle-aged man walked out from inside. The man looked dejected. After emerging from the clouds, he bowed towards the main hall in front of him and then disappeared from the spot.

A powerful cultivator at the Void Realm!

Lin Yan narrowed his eyes slightly. The person just now was a Void Realm expert, but it was obvious that he had not gained anything in the clouds.

So, this cloud and mist is the Taiqing Altar?

Is this what the secret realm of Taiqing Palace is like?

Lin Yan glanced around the entire square. There were quite a few martial artists, but he didn't see a single one from the Taiqing Palace.

The Taiqing Palace opened the Taiqing Altar, but there wasn't even anyone to maintain order.

For the first time, Lin Yan was deeply curious about the Taiqing Palace. What kind of sect was it that opened its gates to the outside world and opened the Taiqing Altar, yet not a single person showed up, allowing outside martial artists to freely enter and exit the Taiqing Altar?

Even if there are powerful figures from the Taiqing Palace secretly sensing the movements on the plaza, isn't this a bit too casual?

"Brother Lin, you'll get used to it. This is the common rule of Taiqing Palace. There are records in our sect that there was once a Taiqing Palace Master who was a newly initiated disciple."

Lin Yan: "?"

"And the disciples of Taiqing Palace, from the time they entered the palace until their death, never even stepped out of the courtyard gate."

Lin Yan:

Listening to Gu Xun's story, Lin Yan had a feeling that Taiqing Palace was not a place for martial arts practice, but more like a place for Taoist cultivation.

No wonder, even with such a powerful force as Taiqing Palace in Shandong Province, its martial arts strength is still at the bottom. Given the casual nature of the martial artists in Taiqing Palace, they would never participate in martial arts competitions.

While Lin Yan and Gu Xun were talking, Luo Chen, who was not far away, hesitated for a moment, but after thinking about it, he walked over.

"Uncle Lin, I was wrong about what happened yesterday."

When Luo Chen addressed him as "Uncle Lin," Lin Yan's eyelids twitched. If he remembered correctly, according to what Lord Luo had said, he was four years younger than Luo Chen.

Someone older than me calls me "uncle"?

Lin Yan was somewhat helpless, but Gu Xun and the others were not too surprised. Shandong Dao has always placed great importance on seniority. The martial arts world is a little better, as strength is the main factor, but seniority is extremely important in the common people's world.

"If I had known, I wouldn't have mentioned Lord Luo yesterday. I've just needlessly added a generation to my own."

Lin Yan sighed softly and had no choice but to accept Luo Chen's form of address: "What happened yesterday is neither right nor wrong, it's all in the past. You're here today for the Taiqing Altar, aren't you?"

"Yes, I've already gone in, but unfortunately—I only made it past the fourth level."

Luo Chen looked disappointed, but a young man who had been standing next to him and had now followed him immediately explained, "Brother Luo has already done well. That Dharma Aspect expert just now only passed the second level."

"The Dharma Form is only the second stage?" Lin Yan asked, somewhat surprised. "The Taiqing Divine Altar doesn't consider strength?"

"It's not that strength isn't considered; the difficulty of each level varies from person to person. That's why many True Qi martial artists—even those in the early True Qi stage—come here, hoping to try their luck."

Luo Chen shook his head. Lin Yan understood. He guessed that, like the sword tower of Taiyi Sword Academy, the difficulty of each level varied from person to person, and only in the later levels would the difficulty become fixed.

When Chu Jun and the others saw Luo Chen, their expressions changed slightly, but they didn't show much hostility. The slaps they received yesterday were delivered by someone else.

"Uncle Lin, with your strength, you can definitely pass the seventh level."

"That's not necessarily true. Since it varies from person to person, I might also be stuck at the second level."

Lin Yan shook his head. He couldn't be sure how many levels he could pass before he went in, as the challenges varied from person to person.

"Brother Lin, shall I lead the charge for you?"

Gu Xun smiled and spoke. After receiving Lin Yan's nod, he did not hesitate and walked towards the eight stone pillars. On the other side of the square, another person who had come out took a step back after seeing Gu Xun.

The other party wasn't wary of Gu Xun, but rather of Lin Yan, who was beside Gu Xun.

As a half-step Dharma Aspect, especially given his background, many powerful figures already knew Luo Chen's identity when he challenged the tower.

Luo Chen's address of "Uncle Lin" was clearly heard by the top True Qi and Dharma Aspect experts present.

Even if these people didn't know Lin Yan's identity, the fact that they couldn't sense Lin Yan's strength and the title "Uncle Lin" was enough to make them wary.

Lin Yan was aware of all the prying gazes, but he didn't get angry about them. Before even stepping into the square, he had already sensed the strength of all the martial artists present.

There were fifteen Dharma Aspect martial artists, two of whom exuded an aura that exerted pressure on him, suggesting they were Cave Heaven Realm experts, belonging to the senior category. As for the other thirteen—

Thirty breaths later, one stone pillar lit up; fifty breaths later, a second stone pillar lit up; ten breaths later, the light from both stone pillars faded.

"Two checkpoints."

The young man who followed Luo Chen whispered something.

Hearing this, Lin Yan understood that the number of times the stone pillar lit up represented how many levels he had passed.

The light from the stone pillar has now gone out, meaning Gu Xun has stopped at the second level.

Not long after, Gu Xun emerged, his face also showing disappointment.

Just as Gu Xun was walking towards Lin Yan, another person tried to enter the Taiqing Divine Altar. However, after taking only a few steps, a reprimanding voice rang out: "Get back."

His voice was cold, but the man who stepped out of the crowd turned pale instantly and staggered backward.

At the same time, opposite Lin Yan, a young man looked up at Lin Yan and asked, "Lin Yan, who goes first, you or me?"

Hearing the other party suddenly call his name, Lin Yan was a little surprised. Luo Chen, who was standing next to Lin Yan, immediately transmitted his voice and said, "Uncle Lin, that is Qiu Zhan. He was originally ranked eightyth on the Dharma Aspect Prodigy Ranking, but now he is ranked eighty-first."

After Luo Chen's reminder, Lin Yan realized that this was the person whose ranking he had pushed out.

However, I didn't just push him out of the rankings; everyone below the 80th place was pushed out of the rankings by me. Why would he be so hostile towards me?

Lin Yan was naturally unaware that he had not only displaced Qiu Zhan from his original ranking, but also from his title as the number one person in the Realm of Reality.

"This is going to be interesting. Qiu Zhan has challenged Lin Yan."

"Before Lin Yan, Qiu Zhan was the number one in the Realm of Reality. Now that title has been given to Lin Yan, Qiu Zhan will naturally be dissatisfied."

"If he's not satisfied, why doesn't Qiu Zhan just challenge Lin Yan directly?"

"What else could it be? He wasn't confident he could defeat Lin Yan, so he probably wanted to use the Taiqing Divine Platform to test his abilities. If Lin Yan's level of difficulty wasn't as good as his, Qiu Zhan should issue a real challenge to Lin Yan after the level was over."

The illusory warriors present were also secretly communicating with each other.

Lin Yan glanced at Qiu Zhan, his expression unchanged: "Please go first, sir!"

Having received Lin Yan's reply, Qiu Zhan didn't waste any more words and strode straight toward the Taiyi Altar.

He was indeed unsure of himself, but if Lin Yan's performance in the challenge was inferior to his, he would not hesitate to challenge Lin Yan.

Watching Qiu Zhan enter the Taiyi Divine Altar, his figure shrouded in mist, Lin Yan turned to Gu Xun beside him and asked, "Brother Gu, where are you?"

What were the gains from the Taiyi Altar?

"A strand of Taiqing True Qi."

Lin Yan was stunned for a moment, having obtained a wisp of Taiqing True Qi, yet he still looked disappointed.

After a moment of silence, Lin Yan spoke: "Congratulations, Brother Gu, you are not far from reaching the half-step Dharma Aspect stage."

"The Taiqing True Qi is indeed a good thing, but if I had been able to pass the third level, the gains would have been extraordinary."

"You're right. If I had been able to get through the fifth level, I would have gained a lot."

Luo Chen, standing to the side, chimed in, and the two exchanged a glance, both looking disappointed.

Lin Yan looked at the expressions on the two people's faces and was speechless.

I'm hoping to learn more about the Taiqing Altar from the two of you, not to hear you two keeping me in suspense.

These two weren't the only ones keeping everyone in suspense; the senior from the Taiyi Sword Sect who introduced the Taiqing Palace and Taiqing Altar was also a master of keeping secrets.

It only wrote one sentence: "The Taiqing Altar has endless uses, and one can obtain the true energy of Taiqing and many treasures."

Not a single word was written about the specifics.

P.S.: The update is late, I'll add another chapter during the day.