To comprehend all laws and attain immortality

After walking for a while, the group arrived at a palace with the words "Xuanzhen Palace" written on the plaque.

Several people were already waiting outside the Xuanzhen Hall. At the front was a thin old man with dark skin, dressed in hemp clothes, with white hair hanging down like a waterfall. He wore a feather crown and a crane cloak, as if he had blended into the surrounding environment, and no one could find a sense of disharmony.

As Qi Zongyuan and the others approached, the withered old man stepped forward with a smile and said, "Fellow Daoists, you have come from afar. I bow in gratitude."

Qi Zongyuan returned the greeting, and during the exchange of pleasantries, several Golden Elixir True Persons entered the Xuanzhen Hall one after another.

Gu Fan and the others were not qualified to enter, so they could only wait outside the hall, observing each other with the disciples of the Hundred Refinements Sect.

"The Hundred Refinements Sect is indeed skilled in cultivating the Dharma Body; they look incredibly resilient. I wonder how many of my palm strikes they can withstand." Meng Wei's voice transmission came through his ear.

"It's just that this suit of armor is a bit of a problem; I'm afraid one sword won't be able to cut it." This was Jiang Qingque.

Gu Fan listened to the two people's telepathic communication but did not reply. Instead, he frowned and looked at one of the people in the Hundred Refinements Sect's team.

The man was nearly nine feet tall, with a bronze complexion and a handsome appearance with thick eyebrows and large eyes, exuding a strong masculine aura.

However, what caught Gu Fan's attention was not the man's appearance, but the fact that the Qi Refining disciples of the Hundred Refinements Sect around him all kept a certain distance from him, their actions revealing a sense of respect and... fear.

Just then, the man seemed to sense Gu Fan's gaze and suddenly turned his head.

The two looked at each other, and the man suddenly grinned, revealing a set of white teeth. He raised an eyebrow and looked at Gu Fan with curiosity.

Gu Fan lowered his eyelids slightly and returned a smile.

Just then, a handsome man wearing a striped tiger skin walked out of the Xuanzhen Hall.

"While you esteemed masters are still discussing matters, I, Guo Zhenyue, have been instructed by Master Tuoba to escort you to your guest rooms for accommodation, in preparation for the Dharma assembly to be held tomorrow."

According to the original plan, the Lingxiao Sect disciples should have rested on the Yunmeng Boat, and the Bailian Sect also brought its own Dragon Horn Peak. However, the Hualing Sect's hospitality made it difficult for everyone to refuse.

Moreover, Guo Zhenyue had just come out of the Xuanzhen Hall, which clearly meant he had the permission of the three sect leaders, so naturally no one would object anymore.

Seeing everyone nod, Guo Zhenyue took a spirit beast pouch from his waist, released a golden-winged eagle from it, and raised his hand to release it.

The eagle flapped its wings and flew away, and a moment later dozens of disciples from the Spirit Transformation Sect arrived, each with different clothing and accompanying spirit beasts.

"Fellow Daoists, please follow our disciples. We hope you will feel at home."

After Guo Zhenyue finished speaking, disciples of the Hualing Sect stepped forward to pay their respects and chose a cultivator to take away.

Gu Fan was no exception.

His guide was a young girl dressed in a leopard-print dress, with a lynx-like spirit beast running back and forth at her feet.

When Gu Fan looked at the girl, he noticed that she was also secretly looking at him. When Gu Fan noticed, the girl was not shy at all, but instead winked at him.

"My name is Gu Fan. May I ask how you should address me, fellow Daoist?" Gu Fan was the first to break the silence.

The girl laughed heartily: "Fellow Daoist, just call me Cai Xuan."

"I'm new here; is there anything I should be aware of?"

"There aren't many things to be careful about... just make sure you don't wander off or disturb the mountain spirits."

Gu Fan asked curiously, "I've noticed that it seems everyone in the Spirit Transformation Sect keeps a spirit beast?"

"Yes!" Cai Xuan nodded and said, "After all, we want to worship the True Spirit Lord, but we don't know what the True Spirit Lord likes, so we look for spirit beasts that look like the True Spirit Lord as companions and observe their habits as a reference."

"This...works?" Gu Fan asked in surprise.

Cai Xuan laughed and said, "Some are useful, some are not. It's not so easy to guess what Master Zhenling likes, but it's always good to have more company."

Fifteen minutes later, the two stopped in front of a house.

The houses were built against the mountain and were made entirely of mountain stones, giving them a primitive beauty when you approached them.

"This is the place. Fellow Daoist, please rest here. I will come to find you before the Dharma Assembly tomorrow."

"Thank you for your trouble, fellow Daoist," Gu Fan said, bowing with his hands clasped in thanks.

After Gu Fan settled her in, Cai Xuan skipped away, and the girl's lively spirit brought a smile to his face.

The night passed quietly.

......

The next morning, Cai Xuan came to summon Gu Fan.

The Dharma assembly was held in Wanshou Mountain, but not within the Hualingmen Mountain Gate; it was on a mountain peak that had been renovated.

The disciples of the three sects each occupied a mountain peak, distributed in the three directions, and in the middle of the three peaks, there was a tall altar.

Gu Fan followed Cai Xuan here and quickly found the location of the Lingxiao Sect.

Before the group could exchange more than a few words, the Golden Core cultivators from the three sects flew together onto the altar.

The scene immediately fell silent.

As the sun gradually rose and the hour of Chen (7-9 AM) arrived, Elder Han of the Hualing Sect proclaimed loudly, "The auspicious time has come! We respectfully invite the Dao Ancestor's Dharma Seal!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the sounds of bells, chimes, and conch shells resounded from the altar, as vast and melodious as celestial music. The altar was immediately filled with countless rays of light, and a colorful auspicious cloud gathered in the heavens.

Bathed in the glow of the sunset, a golden lotus flower, constantly blooming and withering, slowly emerges.

Everyone present bowed down when the Dao Ancestor's Dharma Seal appeared, including even the Golden Core cultivators.

After a respectful bow, Elder Han's steady voice rang out again: "Offering the sacrifice!"

As soon as he finished speaking, one Golden Core elder from each of the three sects stepped forward, released a demon beast from his spirit beast pouch, and offered it before the altar.

The demonic beast presented by the Lingxiao Sect resembled a blue ox, with dark blue fur and two golden horns growing from its head.

The demonic beast presented by the Hundred Refinements Sect resembled a golden sheep, its body covered in golden scales that shimmered in the sunlight.

The demonic beast offered by the Spirit Transformation Sect resembled a white pig, with a large and plump body and blood-red eyes.

All three demonic beasts were at the late stage of the second tier, but at this moment they could only stand still like pigs and sheep waiting to be slaughtered.

"Please, Chief Priest!" Elder Han's voice rang out again.

This Three Sects Dharma Assembly is hosted by the Hualing Sect, and the position of chief officiant is naturally held by the sect leader of the Hualing Sect.

The Tuoba clan leader, draped in a crane cloak, held a jade-green curved sword in both hands, raised it high, and then brought it down in a single strike.

With the desperate screams of the blue ox, bright red demon blood gushed out.

Next up is the Golden Sheep, and finally the White Pig.

After the three demonic beasts were killed, the Tuoba Sect Master put down his emerald green scimitar and took a eulogy from Elder Han.

"On this auspicious day, the three sects gather together, devoutly offering sacrifices and respectfully worshipping the Taoist ancestor."

"Disciple Tuoba Zhao, on behalf of the three sects, respectfully bows twice: We humbly beseech the Dao Ancestor to bestow blessings upon us, whose holy virtue shines forth and whose grace extends to all living beings. We, your disciple, have prepared the offering of three sacrificial animals to respectfully present at the altar, praying that the Dao Ancestor will bestow blessings and auspicious omens, protecting our three sects' lineage so that its spiritual power may endure without end."

"May the Dao Ancestor shine upon the Xuanmen (mysterious sect), bless our hearts with clarity, and enable us to quickly attain true enlightenment; may the Great Dao spread far and wide, may all dharmas return to their true nature, and may all cultivators under heaven bathe in holy light. We disciples will certainly cultivate sincerely, promote the righteous path, and repay the grace of Heaven."

With utmost sincerity, I humbly request your acceptance of this offering!

A loud voice resounded in all directions, and after the recitation was completed, the sacrificial text in Tuoba Zhao's hand spontaneously combusted without fire.

After the eulogy was read, all the Golden Core cultivators present had hopeful eyes and bowed in worship.

The disciples below the altar could not see the expression on the face of the Golden Elixir Immortal, and could only continue to follow and kowtow.

Time passed second by second, feeling as long as a hundred years, but the altar remained silent.

Apart from the pervasive, heavy stench of blood, nothing else happened.

The three sect leaders exchanged glances, their expressions instantly turning grim.