I Have A Dual World Seal

Chapter 1154: Chapter 1153: The Chixiao Temple’s Big Boss Appears

Chixiao Temple, located eighty li northwest of Central Capital City on Jade Hall Mountain, has an unbroken Daoist lineage and is the National Guardian Daoist Temple conferred by the Da Jing Court; its Temple Master has even been granted the title of "Red Sun Jade Pillar Profound Transformation Guardian Celestial Master."

Of course, that’s how the common folk see it. In the Cultivation Realm, Chixiao Temple has always been one of the leading heads of the Daoist Sect, inheriting the Yuqing Chixiao Scripture—subtle words with grand principles, cultivating Innate Yin Yang Qi, probing the life and death of all things under heaven, its exquisite profundity in no way inferior to White Cloud Temple’s Innate Taiqing Rootless Cloud Qi Scripture.

And according to what Lu Zheng knew, there was also an old monster sitting in the rear mountain of Chixiao Temple, on the same level as Dongyangzi and Zen Master Dejie, which put it a tier above the likes of the Jinhua Sect, Qingwei Palace, and so on.

...

"Wow! How spectacular!" Shen Ying exclaimed.

It was already the second day by now; Lu Zheng’s group had driven their carriage and arrived at the foot of Jade Hall Mountain.

Jade Hall Mountain’s terrain was not as grand as White Cloud Mountain, but Chixiao Temple and White Cloud Temple were two entirely different styles.

Although White Cloud Temple was famous and imposing, its overall layout was still that of being hidden amidst mountains and forests, with a strong air of purity and ease.

Chixiao Temple, on the other hand, was built high upon the mountain, its entire complex openly revealed before people’s eyes.

Red-lacquered walls paired with white stone bricks, glazed tiles paired with green timber beams, eaves gilded with gold, upturned corners carved with beasts—elegant yet luxurious; add to that the unceasing coils of incense smoke, day and night across the twelve Hours, and the whole of Jade Hall Mountain seemed like an Immortal Mountain, while Chixiao Temple resembled the very mountain gate of an Immortal sect.

All right then... speaking strictly, Chixiao Temple really was an Immortal mountain gate; if your aptitude was sufficient, the Yuqing Chixiao Scripture was absolutely enough to let you become an Immortal and achieve Ascension.

"Let’s go up."

Lu Zheng lifted the curtain, declined the coachman’s attempt to help him down, jumped off the carriage himself, and only then helped Si Lingxi and the other two women down one by one.

Today Lu Zheng was not driving personally; the Lingwu Royal Mansion had provided a coachman. The carriage, however, was still his own, because it was more comfortable than any carriage in the Lingwu Royal Mansion.

The coachman drove the carriage to a place not far from the mountain foot where horses were tethered and vehicles parked. Though today was neither a ten-day rest day nor a festival, there were still many horses and carriages at the foot of Jade Hall Mountain, all from prominent households in Central Capital City, here to offer incense or repay vows.

Lu Zheng and the others blended into the crowd, admiring the scenery of Jade Hall Mountain as they slowly made their way up.

Even so, they walked fast; even with a few stops along the way to take in the view, they reached the outside of Chixiao Temple in less than half an Hour.

Outside Chixiao Temple, people were coming and going, and there were two greeter Daoists standing before the main gate.

The group stopped ten zhang from the gate, looking at this magnificent Daoist Temple at close range.

Lu Zheng rubbed his chin, preparing to step forward, report his name, and request an audience with the Temple Master of Chixiao.

"Infinite Celestial Venerable!"

Just then, a Daoist invocation suddenly rang in everyone’s ears. "Sect Leader Si has arrived, please forgive this poor Daoist for failing to welcome you from afar."

"Hm?"

Everyone turned to look, and saw a middle-aged Daoist in green robes with black hair standing beneath an ancient cypress to the left of the road, bowing toward them with clasped hands.

This Daoist had a square face and straight brows, wore three long strands of beard, and his eyes were bright and piercing; when he did not smile, he looked quite stern.

"I have seen Fellow Daoist Ling Kun." Si Lingxi’s gaze flickered slightly, and she nodded in greeting.

Lu Zheng’s brows lifted. So this was Chixiao Temple’s Ancestor? Coming on stage this fast?

"Yuan Zheng of White Cloud Temple pays his respects to Senior Ling Kun!"

Thus Lu Zheng pulled Liu Qingyan and Shen Ying along and bowed deeply to Ling Kunzi.

Ling Kunzi’s gaze circled once over Lu Zheng and Si Lingxi, forcing down the shock and curiosity in his heart as he maintained his composure.

...

He had already sensed Si Lingxi’s presence yesterday afternoon; it was just that Si Lingxi had appeared outside Central Capital City, and with the Spiritual Martial King coming forward, he naturally assumed Si Lingxi had some business with the Court.

Only just now, when he sensed Si Lingxi’s presence again at the foot of Jade Hall Mountain, did he come out from his cave estate in the rear mountain to greet her.

Ling Kunzi and Si Lingxi had never met, but as figures standing at the peak of this world, they were well known to each other; so long as one did not deliberately conceal themselves, they could basically recognize one another at a glance.

Ling Kunzi was no mortal; if Si Lingxi were to hide her aura when coming up to Chixiao Temple, it would seem discourteous. And once she revealed her aura, the only person in Chixiao Temple qualified to come out and receive her was Ling Kunzi himself.

So, before Lu Zheng and the others had even set foot inside the gate of Chixiao Temple, they were already face-to-face with the greatest BOSS behind the scenes of Chixiao.

Absolutely absurd...

Although Lu Zheng and Si Lingxi were not holding hands, Ling Kunzi had lived for several hundred years; there was no situation he hadn’t seen before. He asked himself if his eyes were blind—how could he fail to see the state of Lu Zheng and the three women before him?

Liu Qingyan and Shen Ying were one thing; their foundations were astonishing as well, but Lu Zheng was hardly ordinary.

But... what was with Si Lingxi?

No matter how Ling Kunzi racked his brains, he simply could not connect Si Lingxi with a mere Yuan Generation disciple of White Cloud Temple.

Thus, when Lu Zheng bowed to him, Ling Kunzi was actually stunned for a moment, not knowing how to respond to the form of address, and his control over his expression nearly slipped.

Si Lingxi gave Ling Kunzi a glance and said calmly, "Lu Lang is a Daoist Disciple. Calling you ’Senior’ is perfectly normal."

The implication being: each relationship is judged on its own terms.

Hearing this, Ling Kunzi’s straight brows lifted, and his features immediately relaxed quite a bit. He raised a hand in a slight supporting gesture, lifting Lu Zheng and the two women up from a distance. "How has Elder Dongyang been lately?"

"Thank you for your concern, Senior; my Grandmaster is well." Lu Zheng replied.

Ling Kunzi nodded, looked Lu Zheng over, and the more he looked, the more pleased he became. A rare trace of envy rose in his heart, and only then did he ask, "Little friend, what brings you to Chixiao Temple today?"

Leaving aside Liu Qingyan and Shen Ying, Si Lingxi had no prior ties with Chixiao Temple, so she was naturally here accompanying Lu Zheng.

If Lu Zheng and the others were merely traveling around Central Capital City, they might not have come to Chixiao Temple at all; if it were only a friendly visit between members of the Daoist Sect, Lu Zheng could have come alone.

But now that they had all come up together, there was obviously something afoot.

"You are perceptive, Senior." Lu Zheng bowed again. "This junior has indeed come up the mountain today to report a matter to Chixiao Temple."

"Some time ago, this junior encountered Master Yun Ning in my home county’s city," Lu Zheng said.

"Oh?" Ling Kunzi’s gaze sharpened, and a bad premonition rose in his heart.

Sure enough, Lu Zheng did not disappoint him. Lu Zheng continued, "By chance, this junior discovered that Master Yun Ning has already Fallen."

Even with Ling Kunzi’s level of Dao Practice and composure, his pupils could not help but constrict in disbelief. "Yu Ning has Fallen?"

"Indeed." Lu Zheng nodded and reached into his robe, taking out a Jade Talisman. "This is Elder Yuning’s personal Jade Talisman."

Ling Kunzi naturally recognized Master Yun Ning’s Magical Treasure. Now that it had lost the masking of Chixiao Temple’s Magical Power, the Demonic Qi at the core of the Jade Talisman was instantly sensed by Ling Kunzi.

"How could this be?" Ling Kunzi could hardly believe it. "Yu Ning has actually been Fallen for several decades already?"

"That is exactly the case." Lu Zheng nodded, and then briefly recounted what had occurred between him and Master Yun Ning. "Elder Yuning’s coffin is in the bag. Oh, and my Temple Master also wrote a letter, sending me to deliver it to Master Jinghe."