Daoist Competition

Chapter 1303: Chapter 38: Nascent Soul Stage 2

The Paper Woman silently drifted to the two men, bowed with a Wan Fu salute toward Song Chuyuan, then pointed at a passageway by the right-hand corner against the wall.

Song Chuyuan clapped his hands and said, "It’s done."

After finding the correct path, the two of them followed this downward-slanting corridor for a full hundred-odd zhang, then arrived in another cave.

There was nothing else here, only a stone slab a zhang long and wide laid on the ground, upon which was carved a Nine Ghosts Devouring Heart Diagram, looking grim and terrifying.

Song Chuyuan took out a Blood Jade Bracelet from his sleeve and gave a light shake toward the slab below. At once the stone slab rumbled as it slid backward, revealing a pit beneath. freewёbn૦νeɭ.com

Zhang Yan cast a glance down. Below was a stone chamber ten steps square. In its center stood a large black-glazed vat, sealed with white mud. Atop the vat rested a wooden carving of a bull’s head, whose nose ring was very similar to the Blood Jade Bracelet in Song Chuyuan’s hand.

Song Chuyuan was clearly quite excited. He leapt down, gazed at that bull head, and thought to himself, "The Inheritance Books my Grandmaster once brought out should all be here."

He swept his robe sleeve, putting this item into his Sleeve Bag, then finally turned his gaze to that large vat, knowing the storehouse should be within.

Yet after examining it once over, a troubled look appeared on his face. He raised his head and said, "This white mud is Tancao Paste refined together with Ink Ghost whiskers. It cannot be forcibly opened with brute strength. It requires two Nascent Soul cultivators to burn it with the Yang Fire within their mansions, to completely remove the yin energy before it can be opened. If True Master wishes to make use of the items within, I fear you will have to wait for some time yet."

Zhang Yan did not mind, and smiled, saying, "There is no need to be hasty. After we return to the sect, it will not be too late to find a way."

Song Chuyuan hurriedly responded in assent.

The two of them collected that large vat, quickly withdrew from this place, sealed the Cave Mansion’s gate again, then flew up into the sky, heading all the way back toward Cangzhu Peak.

Three days later, Zhang Yan and Song Chuyuan returned together to Han Yuan Sect. As soon as he entered the Mountain Gate, he summoned Zhang Boyant and ordered him to work together with Song Chuyuan to find a way to open that layer of sealing mud, while he himself returned to his Cave Mansion and entered meditation for Cultivation.

Yet this time, as soon as he sat down, he felt a difference in himself from former days, as a strange sense welled up, as though an opportunity was close at hand.

His Heart and Spirit stirred involuntarily. He immediately cast aside distracting thoughts, simply sealed his mansion gate, ignored all matters outside his body, and devoted himself wholly to tempering his cultivation.

Under the circulation of his Mysterious Skill, the Junyang Essence within the Gang Cloud transformed into the most refined and pure Spiritual Energy, which, guided by his Divine Intent, flowed into his four limbs and hundred bones, then traveled back and forth through his meridian orifices. With every circuit, the Gang Cloud above his head solidified a fraction more, and his all-around magical power continuously grew stronger.

He had never expected beforehand that this one seclusion would unknowingly stretch into the seventh year.

On this day, he suddenly felt a blaze of light within his body, the accumulated Spirit Pond finally overflowing. He could not help but smile faintly, letting his Qi Mechanism rise and surge, climbing up to his Heavenly Spirit, then bursting out through the crown aperture. His body gave a light shudder, and the third Gang Cloud above his head suddenly凝作实质, with a thunderous boom, a Nascent Soul leapt out, hanging in midair, radiating dazzling splendor all around.

At this moment, the several hundred disciples of Han Yuan Sect were still engaged in their morning lesson when they felt a tremor beneath their feet, as if the mountain ridges were shaking. Only then did a muffled sound come from afar. They all craned their necks to look, and were all stunned, a deep shock rising in their hearts.

They saw streams of five-colored flowing light shoot forth from the mountaintop, reaching a thousand feet. At the same time, all the Spiritual Energy on Cangzhu Peak was converging on the summit. Because the surge was too fierce, even the Heavenly Gang Cloud took shape as a vortex a hundred li across, with Thunder Light flickering in and out from time to time.

Chu Muran, Zhao Ge, and Wen Liang all sensed it and rushed out from their respective Cave Mansions, staring blankly at this heaven-and-earth anomaly, a single thought surfacing in all their minds: "Senior Sect Leader has broken through the Boundary!"

E Mountain Sect, Yellow Flower Hall.

Bai Jiyin was in the hall, discussing matters with a group of elders.

Ever since Yong Fu passed away, he had succeeded to the seat of Sect Leader. He had the highest cultivation in the sect and was also the former Sect Leader’s Senior Disciple, so this was only natural. Yet at this moment his expression was not very pleasant.

After Yong Fu and Zhang Yan’s fighting, although he had yielded the immortal city’s Master position, E Mountain Sect had not, like the other all sects, offered up Sacrifice.

After Yong Fu’s fall, Bai Jiyin, feeling that E Mountain Sect was far inferior to before, believed this matter absolutely could not be repeated and intended to make up for the Sacrifice.

However, once this proposal was raised, it was met with vehement opposition from several Hua Dan Elders in the sect.

One elder said, "Han Yuan Sect has only been in the limelight for a mere decade or so. Our E Mountain Sect has been Master of the immortal city for several hundred years, with roots deep as leaves and branches. We only recognize Zhongtai as Upper Sect. Why should we look at Daoist Zhang’s expression?"

Bai Jiyin said in a deep voice, "Master Uncle Mo, before my honored teacher’s passing, he repeatedly instructed that we must show courtesy to the Han Yuan disciples. His intent was obvious without words. Our E Mountain Sect is, after all, deep within Divine House Mountain. Since Han Yuan is now Master of the immortal city, we ought to submit."

The elder was about to say something more when a disciple rushed into the great hall in haste, shouting, "Sect Leader Senior Brother, Sect Leader Senior Brother..."

Bai Jiyin’s face showed displeasure. He scolded, "What business makes you shout like this? When Senior Brother was still here, when did we ever have such undisciplined disciples?"

Hearing him pointing at the mulberry to curse the locust, Bai Jiyin could not help but knit his brows and cast his gaze downward, saying, "Junior Brother, what has you so flustered?"

That disciple pointed outside and said, "Senior Brother, come quickly to see. It seems some change has arisen at Han Yuan Sect."

Bai Jiyin started. He immediately descended the Jade Stairs and left the hall. Several elders exchanged glances and followed after him.

Everyone looked toward the southeast and saw, more than a thousand li away, a cloud vortex churning, as if a breach had opened in the Heavenly Vault. At the sight of such a spectacle, all present felt a jolt in their hearts.

One elder said, "This, could this be a Demon Cultivator failing a tribulation?"

Bai Jiyin felt that all the spiritual mechanism in Heaven seemed to be converging on Outer Cang Zhu Peak. Though his face remained calm, his heart was in tumult. He shook his head and said, "It is not so. I once heard my honored teacher say that if a cultivator’s Mana is boundlessly profound, then when breaking through, he can indeed stir a heaven-and-earth anomaly. In Han Yuan Sect, there is only one person with such cultivation—True Master Zhang. If I am not mistaken, it must be that this Sect Leader’s cultivation has advanced another level."

The elders were all momentarily dazed. For a cultivator’s breakthrough to actually rouse a heaven-and-earth anomaly—how vast must his Mana be?

"Honored elders," Bai Jiyin turned back, his gaze sweeping over them as he said in a deep voice, "regarding what I said earlier, does anyone still have objections?"

...

...(To be continued. If you enjoy this work, you are welcome to visit Qidian (qidian.com) to cast recommendation votes and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please go to m.qidian.com to read.)