Free Web NovelChapter 73: Chapter 46: Dongzhen Hall, Return to Chongyun
Within a magnificent hall stood a lotus throne. Seated upon it was a Dharma Body, over a thousand feet tall, yet so lifelike it seemed to be a living being. A round halo hung behind its head, releasing boundless light that obscured its face. Its right hand formed a profound Dharma Seal before its chest, while its left was held open, palm up. Floating above each of its five fingers was an orb, as perfectly round as an egg and resembling a celestial star. Some were wreathed in misty white vapor, some were dark and profound, and others shone like a blazing sun...
Aside from this Dharma Body, the hall was almost entirely empty, save for two people conversing in a corner.
Behind a low table sat an old Daoist with white hair and a youthful complexion. Behind him stood a board with rows of Jade Slips hung upon it.
"Xuzhuang, after you became a True Disciple, you earned an opportunity to cultivate in Dongzhen Hall for ten years, which you have yet to use. Furthermore, you do not need to wait in line." The old Daoist stroked his beard. "However, the Flowing Water Grotto Heaven you wish to enter will not have an opening for another year. Can you wait that long?"
Xuzhuang stood before the old Daoist and cupped his hands. "Of course. I’ll have to trouble the Venerable to register me, then."
This Dongzhen Hall was a place known only to the most advanced cultivators in the sect, and it managed the five great Grotto Heavens of the Tai Su Orthodox Sect.
Each of these five Grotto Heavens offered endless wondrous benefits for cultivation. Opportunities to enter were extremely rare, and many people were always lined up, waiting for their turn.
However, in the Tai Su Sect, disciples who formed a Top-grade Golden Core and became a True Disciple were granted an opportunity every hundred years to choose one Grotto Heaven in Dongzhen Hall and cultivate there for ten years, without having to wait in line. This was precisely why Xuzhuang had come.
Seeing Xuzhuang agree, the old Daoist acted without delay. He took a Jade Slip from the table, carved Xuzhuang’s name into it, and turned to hang it in the first position of the waiting list for the Flowing Water Grotto Heaven. Stroking his beard, he said, "Alright, you may go back and await the news. It would be best not to leave the sect during this time. If you miss your chance, your eligibility will be revoked immediately."
"Thank you, Venerable. I understand the stakes." Xuzhuang cupped his hands again before turning to walk out of the great hall. Before him was a sea of clouds; it turned out that Dongzhen Hall was also a place hidden high amongst the heavens.
With his name registered at Dongzhen Hall, Xuzhuang was finally free of other matters and could return to his abode to wait for news. He flew off on a beam of light toward Chongyun Peak, and in just a moment, he could see its summit poking through the clouds in the distance.
Ever since Xuzhuang became a True Disciple, Chongyun Peak had been placed under his stewardship.
As the mountain of a True Disciple, the sect would dispatch people to survey its feng shui, move a Spirit Vein to it, and renovate the peak... Xuzhuang had entrusted Li Changfeng to oversee this matter, and the renovations had been completed long ago while Xuzhuang was confined to Beiji Pavilion.
It was rather amusing; as the Peak Master of Chongyun, Xuzhuang had barely spent any time on Chongyun Peak after its renovation. Returning now, he felt a faint sense of unfamiliarity.
Due to Peak Master Xuzhuang’s simple tastes, no palaces, pavilions, or waterside gazebos had been built on the peak. Instead, after several Spirit Veins were laid down, the ancient pines and green cypresses on the mountain grew at an astonishing rate, becoming lush and verdant with gnarled, spreading branches. A waterfall thousands of feet high, like a jade dragon, plunged from the summit, kicking up a vast, lingering mist.
When Xuzhuang arrived back on Chongyun Peak, a sweep of his spiritual eyes revealed a small surprise. Beside a waterfall pool, a person was sitting cross-legged on the bank, eyes closed in concentration. After a moment, the person’s eyes suddenly snapped open. With a low shout, he shot a strand of Sword Qi from his mouth. Its momentum was astonishing, and as it slashed toward the cascading waterfall, it actually severed the flow of water for a brief instant.
Xuzhuang smiled faintly and suddenly descended from the clouds, praising, "Not bad."
The person, it turned out, was none other than Xuzhuang’s nominal disciple, Li Changfeng.
Li Changfeng was startled by the voice, but then he immediately recognized its familiarity. Looking up, he saw Xuzhuang descending from the clouds. A look of delighted surprise appeared on his face as he bowed respectfully. "Master."
"Mm," Xuzhuang nodded slightly. "Changfeng, didn’t you go out to travel and gain experience?"
"Reporting to Master." Although Xuzhuang had said he didn’t care for excessive formalities, Li Changfeng remained completely respectful. "After I left the sect, I headed east. Not long after I left Yunmeng Marsh..."
Li Changfeng’s mind drifted back. In the past, he had decided to emulate his master and travel abroad for experience. His first planned stop was the Central Plains, a land known for its endless strife, but he hadn’t gotten far from Yunmeng Marsh before he encountered something strange.
In a mortal kingdom not far from Yunmeng Marsh and the Tai Su Orthodox Sect, Li Changfeng passed through several towns only to find them completely silent. The vast country was like a ghost realm on earth.
Li Changfeng sensed something was wrong, but filled with youthful bravado, he pressed forward instead of retreating. Deeper within the kingdom, he didn’t encounter ghouls or monsters, but rather fellow members of the Tai Su Sect. It was only then he learned that Demon Cultivators had been unscrupulously slaughtering people in the surrounding kingdoms to refine their dark arts, creating countless monsters in the process.
This had alerted the Tai Su Orthodox Sect, prompting the sect’s experts to take action. They pursued the Demon Cultivators to parts unknown, but the countless monsters left behind had lost their masters’ control. They swarmed across the land like a plague of locusts, rampaging, slaughtering, and devouring people...
The Tai Su Sect had since issued missions, dispatching many disciples to slay the abominations. Li Changfeng’s sense of righteousness was stirred, and without even caring about a formal mission, he joined the other sect members, tirelessly rushing about to eliminate the monsters and save countless lives.
"Later, while fighting alongside a Senior Brother Nangong to kill a powerful demon, I was severely injured, and he brought me back to the sect," Li Changfeng said.
After hearing the story, Xuzhuang sighed softly and said, "You did well. You have performed a great service by eliminating demons. As your master, I will send word to the Merit Hall to compensate you for your contributions."
Li Changfeng replied, "Reporting to Master, after I returned to the sect, Senior Brother Nangong already reported my deeds. The Merit Hall has verified them and compensated me with the full amount of merit points."
"Excellent." Xuzhuang nodded. "Has there been any trouble on the peak recently?"
Li Changfeng thought carefully before replying, "The peak has been peaceful. There is only one small matter: Junior Martial Uncle Yuan, who was cultivating on the peak, has successfully formed a Low-Grade Golden Core and moved off Chongyun Peak."
"I see." Xuzhuang nodded, pondered for a moment, and then added, "There is one more thing I need you to do."
With a flick of his sleeve, Xuzhuang tossed out Lieyun, who had been secretly peeking out and observing its surroundings. The creature somersaulted several times in the air before coming to a stop.
"This flood dragon is a demonic beast I’ve subdued. Later, I want you to take it on a tour of the mountain streams and pools on the peak and see where it wants to make its home for cultivation."
Li Changfeng was taken aback but replied, "Yes."
Xuzhuang said, "After you’ve done that, come find me in my residence." Without another word, he flew off on a beam of light and returned to his abode.
Li Changfeng bowed once more toward the sky before turning his head to look at the flood dragon. It had been putting on a docile act, but the moment Xuzhuang vanished, it became wildly arrogant. Crossing its claws, it said haughtily, "Kid, you’re the old master’s disciple? Your cultivation doesn’t look like much. What’s your rank?"
Li Changfeng replied respectfully, "Reporting to Martial Uncle, I am only a nominal disciple. Master does not have any other disciples yet."
When Li Changfeng mentioned he was only a nominal disciple, Lieyun’s head shot up even higher, and with a flick of its body, it prepared to land on Li Changfeng’s head. But when Li Changfeng added that Xuzhuang had no other disciples, Lieyun’s body suddenly froze in mid-air.
’This sly kid... can’t even get his words out all at once,’ Lieyun grumbled to itself. ’So the old master doesn’t have any disciples yet? In that case, once this kid is formally accepted, won’t he be the head disciple? Better not to make a mortal enemy out of him.’
Its eyes darted about. Lieyun smoothly changed its trajectory and landed on Li Changfeng’s shoulder, shouting, "Enough nonsense! Hurry up and take this venerable one to find a good Water Mansion."
