Free Web NovelChapter 318: Chapter 317: Cleaning Out Maoshan Too
Forget Mr. Chen the Elder’s family—even the old man himself stared in astonishment at the red and black light emanating from his chest.
"The Essence of C Fire prioritizes the regulation of the heart meridian, while the Kan Water Spirit focuses on replenishing the kidney’s water," Taoist Shen Hao explained with a smile. "With a vigorous Heart Fire and ample kidney water, the other organs—the liver, spleen, and lungs—will naturally be nourished as well."
Nourished by the Water and Fire Suppressing Spirit Pill and aided by Taoist Shen Hao’s Magical Power, Mr. Chen the Elder could clearly feel his body growing lighter. Strength gradually returned to his limbs, and even his spirits lifted considerably.
His great-grandson and great-granddaughter, who were closest to him, watched as their great-grandfather’s face regained its color at a visible rate. Even the age spots on his face seemed to fade.
Their worldview shattered!
The great-grandson felt dizzy, his mind a complete blank. The only thing echoing in his head was a thought akin to, ’Cultivation is real!’
But as they witnessed the miracle before them, everyone instinctively held their breath, not daring to make the slightest sound.
A moment later, the light faded.
Taoist Shen Hao straightened up, pulling Mr. Chen the Elder up with him. "Eat well, keep exercising. I can’t promise more, but living for another three to five years won’t be a problem."
Everyone stared, wide-eyed and speechless.
"D-Daoist... no, Perfected Master..." Mr. Chen the Elder’s son stammered, swallowing hard, at a complete loss for words.
Everyone stared at Taoist Shen Hao in awe. They might have occasionally daydreamed about whether Immortals existed, sharing dubious legends and tales, but when a real Immortal suddenly appeared right in front of them, their minds went completely blank.
Taoist Shen Hao glanced at them, his white eyebrows arching slightly. "Your family’s patriarch fought for his country. He’s a hero," he said coolly. "Don’t you dare bring shame to his name."
"Yes, yes, of course!" The group nodded frantically before shaking their heads. "We absolutely won’t!"
Taoist Shen Hao smiled, then looked at Mr. Chen the Elder. "I’ll take you for a tour around Wanfu Palace. We’ll have lunch together."
Mr. Chen the Elder nodded repeatedly, then couldn’t help but ask, "Won’t this disturb your cultivation?"
"Half a day is fine," Taoist Shen Hao said with a smile. "But I do have things to attend to and must leave this afternoon. You shouldn’t stay on the mountain for too long either. The mountain air is cold and heavy; it’s best you head down before nightfall."
Mr. Chen the Elder readily agreed and followed Taoist Shen Hao out of the room.
The entire Chen family hurried out after them. They trailed cautiously behind the pair, a bundle of nerves, excitement, and apprehension.
...
Gu Zhao didn’t go with them. He remained in the room and gave a Thunder Seed to both Taoist Han Zheng and Taoist Han Xuan.
RUMBLE!
The Thunder Power washed through their bodies, activating their Innate Qi and bestowing them with a foundation of Magical Power.
When Taoist Han Zheng and Taoist Han Xuan opened their eyes again, a Divine Light glowed within them.
"Greetings, Sect Leader!"
They had personally witnessed Gu Zhao bestowing Thunder Seeds upon Taoist Shen Hao and Taoist Yu Zhang. The memory of that scene was forever etched into their minds.
From Taoist Shen Hao’s tone, they had thought they would have to wait for many years. But now, before the Lunar New Year had even arrived, Gu Zhao was here.
At the same time, they also learned the inside story behind the so-called "slots."
Travel to the Otherworld! Eradicating Evil and Accumulating Merit!
"Where is Senior Brother Zhan Qing?" Gu Zhao asked.
Taoist Han Zheng was stunned for a moment. "You’re taking him along too?"
Gu Zhao nodded and smiled. "Senior Brother Yunyang of Eight Immortals Palace, Senior Brother Yangshuo of the Pure Yang Sect, and Senior Brother Changyi of the Celestial Master’s Mansion are all over there. Since I met Senior Brother Zhan Qing last time, it must be fate."
Taoist Han Zheng quickly agreed. "I’ll call him right away!"
As Zhan Qing’s master, Taoist Han Zheng naturally hoped his disciple could receive such an opportunity. However, the Thunder Seeds were limited, and recipients were required to accumulate Evil Qi by Exorcising Demons and Evil Spirits in the Otherworld.
Moreover, while the number of cultivating Taoists in the country wasn’t large, it wasn’t small either. He never expected Gu Zhao would want to take Zhan Qing along so soon.
A moment later, Zhan Qing knocked on the door. After Taoist Han Zheng told him to enter, he pushed the door open and came in, saying excitedly, "I just saw the Grand Master! He was with an old man and..."
Before he could finish his sentence, he saw Gu Zhao in the room and immediately stopped. "Mr. Gu!"
Gu Zhao smiled faintly. With a point of his finger, he sent a Thunder Seed into Zhan Qing’s Sea of Consciousness.
...
Taoist Zhi Qing and Taoist Zhi Xiu from the Celestial Master’s Mansion; Taoist Han Zheng, Taoist Han Xuan, and the young Taoist Zhan Qing from Sanmao Mountain. That made five people in total.
After escorting Taoist Shen Hao back to Daluo Palace, Gu Zhao rushed to Zhenwu Mountain without a moment’s rest.
This time, however, he wasn’t looking for the other three Daoists from the Sanfeng Sect. Instead, he sought out two other old Daoists he had met at the Zhenwu Mountain Martial Arts Festival.
「Zhenwu Mountain, Qingwei Palace.」
Taoist Gao Yue of the Qingwei Sect and Taoist Xu Xing of the Dragon Gate Sect were sitting together in the backyard, basking in the sun.
"Why haven’t I seen Qingwei recently?" Taoist Gao Yue asked curiously.
Taoist Xu Xing replied, "I saw Master Yu last time. He said his master was recently cultivating in the south."
"Ah," Taoist Gao Yue said with understanding. "I thought he had gone into seclusion."
Taoist Xu Xing took a sip of tea, then shook his head. "He’s only in his sixties. Why would he go into seclusion?"
"You have a point." Taoist Gao Yue nodded, then sighed in admiration. "Qingwei is truly a capable man with a sharp eye. He brought the Sanfeng Sect to its current peak and recruited so many gifted disciples."
"We’ve benefited from it as well," Taoist Xu Xing said with a smile. "Zhenwu Mountain is flourishing. We’ve been able to recruit many promising young talents, and our funding has increased significantly."
Taoist Gao Yue laughed heartily. "Indeed, indeed!"
"Speaking of which, have you heard the recent whispers?" Taoist Gao Yue asked, his laughter subsiding into a puzzled expression.
A glint appeared in Taoist Xu Xing’s eyes. "You mean the youngsters asking if there are Immortals in the world?"
Taoist Gao Yue nodded. "Some of my disciples and grand-disciples showed me a video from overseas. They claimed it showed an expert from the Celestial Master’s Mansion performing a Thunder Technique."
"I saw that too." Taoist Xu Xing shook his head. "What a joke. With the little Magical Power we have, we’d be hard-pressed to conjure a single muffled thunderclap, let alone perform a Thunder Technique."
"But then people came to Zhenwu Mountain to conduct a census of the True Dao," Taoist Gao Yue mused. "And recently, our funding was increased, and several strange measures were enacted. They’ve tightened the management of the secret scriptures in Taoist Temples, and there are new restrictions on foreigners."
Taoist Xu Xing also fell silent. "The other day, a young man from the Mongolian Steppe came here, seeking to become a disciple. He said he had seen an Immortal and wanted to find the path to immortality."
"I just feel like something has changed." Taoist Gao Yue frowned slightly in thought. "Could some fellow practitioner have actually discovered a Grotto Heaven Blessed Land and become a Land Immortal?"
"What you say isn’t quite right, Taoist Gao Yue, but you’re not far off." A clear, bright laugh rang in both their ears.
"Hmm?" Taoist Gao Yue and Taoist Xu Xing whipped their heads around to see a young man who had suddenly appeared not far from them.
"Mr. Gu?"
Taoist Gao Yue and Taoist Xu Xing had both been present during the Zhenwu Mountain Martial Arts Festival and had met Gu Zhao there. People capable of cultivating Taoist True Qi were incredibly rare, so they both remembered him well.
"What do you mean by that, Mr. Gu?" Taoist Gao Yue asked curiously.
Gu Zhao wasted no words, sending the last two Thunder Seeds directly into the old Daoists’ Seas of Consciousness. "It means you were more or less right," he said. "But we’re not Land Immortals yet. We still have a long way to go."
"Yes," Gu Zhao said with a smile. "With the help of you two Senior Uncles, we’ll strive together to grow bigger and stronger!"
