The World's Number One Medical Hall

Chapter Fifty-Eight Mountains

There are countless methods of Taoism: the Tao of medicine, the Tao of martial arts, the Tao of alchemy, the Tao of weaponry...

But ultimately, one thing remains constant: regardless of what one cultivates, the ultimate goal is to achieve immortality and freedom.

Therefore, breaking free from one's own shackles and cultivating inner strength is an essential lesson for every practitioner.

Once you've entered the gate, your achievements may vary, but there's no doubt that everyone who calls themselves a Taoist must possess martial arts skills.

Upon hearing this, Mo Bai realized that he had misunderstood.

Since Taoism is flourishing and martial arts are popular in this world.

Therefore, these imperial guards in the capital must be among the best of the best, not ordinary people.

For them, firearms at this stage might not be enough; bows and arrows are far more powerful.

After all, the more powerful a person is, the greater the effect of using a bow and arrow. Whether it is the rate of fire, the range, or even the power, it varies from person to person and cannot be compared.

Speaking of himself alone, let alone his Grandmaster cultivation that day, where his vital energy could permeate his body, even if we only say that he was able to recover his cultivation from his previous life, then facing several people armed with guns and ammunition, as long as he remained vigilant enough, he would not be afraid at all. Not to mention killing the enemy, he could easily dodge them.

However, if he encounters a skilled archer, even a few people can pose a significant threat to him.

With focused concentration, multiple arrows can be fired simultaneously, their angles controllable at will, effectively blocking any room for the opponent to maneuver or dodge – that would truly be terrifying.

Not to mention the masters, whose vital energy is imbued into their arrows, allowing them to arrive instantly from a thousand meters away, piercing through all obstacles and taking lives. How can firearms at this stage compare to bows and arrows?

Having figured this out, Mo Bai had one less question in his mind: why did the soldiers he saw not carry muskets, but instead draw bows and hold swords? Indeed, for them, the people they were protecting were important figures, and the enemy was certainly not an ordinary person. Muskets in their hands were not as threatening as bows and arrows.

"I've often heard of the illustrious Taoist sect. Are there really that many martial arts masters in this world?" Mo Bai asked softly, facing the sunlight.

This time, Tie Xiong gave Mo Bai a rather strange look, as if he was quite surprised.

Although Mo Bai did not look at him, he could understand what he was thinking. With a smile, he said, "I have never set foot in the martial world. When I was young, I met a master in the countryside and learned some medicine and martial arts from him. At that time, I did not investigate the details."

At this point, his gaze shifted slightly to Tie Xiong: "After returning to the royal family, you learned the situation. Anyway, I was just a peaceful prince, and I had no interest in pursuing these things anymore. In the past two years, have you ever seen me work hard? My martial arts have almost fallen into disuse. As for the so-called Taoist sect, I only knew about it. But to be honest, if it weren't for the fact that Shangqing Mountain dared to send someone to publicly harm me, I really wouldn't have known that they had become so powerful. Could it be that the martial arts experts in this world have become so powerful that they can rival the imperial dynasty?"

After saying this, Tie Xiong just looked at him awkwardly, then lowered his head, his lips twitching inwardly.

In the past, even without him saying it, Tie Xiong would have believed that he was truly ignorant of worldly affairs. He didn't even know whether ordinary people ate meat or chaff, let alone Taoists.

But if he were to say those words now, even if Tie Xiong were a pig, he wouldn't be able to believe them.

"With your cultivation level that can kill a Daoist Master in a fit of rage, is it just a few moves you casually practiced when you were young?" Tie Xiong smiled bitterly to himself, speechless.

It should be noted that in hundreds of years, there has never been a case of someone reaching the Grandmaster level at the age of sixteen, and not just any pseudo-Grandmaster who uses other auxiliary methods, but a true Grandmaster who has broken through his own limits and entered the inner sanctum of martial arts.

And that's not all; he also single-handedly killed a Taoist master to attain enlightenment.

Even among the most accomplished masters of our time, none have ever heard of anyone so astonishing in their youth. Becoming a grandmaster is as difficult as ascending to heaven.

She is Mei Yunqing, the daughter of Master Mei, also known as Master Mei. She is an exceptionally talented figure in the Daoist sect. However, even she only reached the Daoist Master realm at nearly forty years old, thanks to the personal guidance of Master Mei and the dedicated cultivation of Shangqing Mountain.

However, Tie Xiong would not refute Mo Bai. Today, Mo Bai is no longer the same person he once knew. To be honest, in his eyes, Mo Bai is full of mystery.

He suppressed the strange feeling in his heart. Since Mo Bai wanted to hear it, he sorted out his thoughts and said in a deep voice, "The Taoist sects in this world are indeed illustrious. In our Great Xia alone, there are 108 sects that have established their own schools and whose legal records are publicly available in the dynasty. If we include sects like mine..."

"If it's inconvenient, you don't have to say!" Mo Bai was listening attentively when he suddenly saw Tie Xiong pause. He turned to look at Tie Xiong, a glint in his eyes, and spoke softly.

In the past, he would have pretended not to hear Tie Xiong's strange behavior, but now, after getting to know Tie Xiong's character for so long, he no longer considers him a stranger and can get to know him a little better.

Without a doubt, Tie Xiong's extensive knowledge of Daoist affairs suggests he is no ordinary person. Moreover, if his friends who participated in rescuing him were merely acquaintances, who would dare to participate in such a dangerous matter? It requires not only friendship but also courage and boldness. In Mo Bai's view, only the illustrious Daoist family would dare to oppose the imperial court.

Tie Xiong paused for a moment before finally speaking. His tone was calm and unwavering, as if he were simply stating a fact: "If we include families like mine, the Tie family is not qualified to establish a sect, but it is indeed a lineage of Daoist martial arts families. Then the Daoist forces can be said to be countless and spread throughout the entire world."

Mo Bai frowned slightly: "What is the qualification to establish a sect? What is the difference between those 108 sects and you? Is it based on strength?"

"Since the Holy Ancestor wielded his sword and rode his horse, sweeping away all the heroes under heaven, pacifying the chaotic world, and establishing the Great Xia Dynasty, he personally determined the number of 108 Taoist sects and occupied the 108 mountains of Great Xia, without increasing or decreasing them!" When mentioning the Holy Ancestor, Tie Xiong subconsciously stood up, cupped his hands and faced north. After speaking, he turned back to look at Mo Bai, who was still sitting there motionless, basking in the sun.

Seeing his posture, Mo Bai was slightly taken aback, then a hint of embarrassment flashed in his eyes. He slowly stood up and bowed to the north to show his respect.

A slight thought stirred within him. Judging from Tie Xiong's subconscious action, the nation's reputation was still deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, especially the past glory of the nation. When mentioning the Holy Ancestor, Tie Xiong clearly showed great reverence, which had become a habitual form of respect.

Sitting down again, Tie Xiong didn't dwell on Mo Bai's seemingly disrespectful behavior towards the Holy Ancestor. He simply assumed Mo Bai was unwell, since Mo Bai was his ancestor and who in this world would dare to disrespect their ancestor?

"These 108 sects are the same 108 sects established by the Holy Ancestor and have continued to this day? Does that mean other sects will no longer have the opportunity to shine?" Mo Bai was somewhat embarrassed, and continued to ask.

Tie Xiong shook his head and smiled, continuing, "Sixth Master, you misunderstand. These 108 mountains are indeed fixed by the Holy Ancestor, neither increasing nor decreasing. But these 108 gates certainly cannot remain unchanged forever!"

Mo Bai nodded. That's how it should be. Humans live in this world, and there will always be rise and fall. How can we forever define glory and poverty? "There must be a set of rules that allow people to strive!"

Seeing that Mo Bai truly knew nothing, Tie Xiong had no choice but to start from the beginning: "Sixth Master, to understand the current situation of the Daoist sect, we must go back to the previous dynasty..."

"Go on!" Mo Bai nodded and listened.