RNP Page 96
Page 96
Time flies, and more than a decade has passed in the blink of an eye.
Their appearances remained unchanged, as if time had forgotten them in their youthful years.
Their footprints have covered the mountains, rivers, lakes and seas of China. Zhang Yunyuan traveled thousands of miles under the guise of "checking in" and also "read" thousands of volumes of martial arts manuals.
[Ding! Check-in location detected: Shaolin Temple, Sutra Repository.]
[Congratulations, host, you have received the reward: Shaolin Tranquility Mantra (Beginner).]
[Ding! Check-in location detected: Penglai Immortal Island - Fanghu.]
[Congratulations, host, you have received the reward: Cultivation Enhancement (+10 years).]
[Ding! Check-in location detected: Tang Clan of Shu - Pill Room.]
[Congratulations, host, you have received the reward: Pill Devouring (Beginner).]
He learned almost all the martial arts of famous and orthodox schools in the world, and fused them all into the primordial Daoist Qi.
With cultivation progressing naturally, one can reach the pinnacle of mastery!
Feng Baobao followed suit, her immortal body having no inherent limitations, and she too stepped into that supreme realm that the world looked up to.
Legends of a "divine couple" gradually spread throughout the martial arts world. No one knew their origins, only that their strength had reached the pinnacle of the world.
Occasionally, some foolish individuals would try to test the waters, but before they could even see the person clearly, they would be struck by a bolt of lightning from the sky, leaving them charred and raw, and from then on, they would develop a deep-seated psychological aversion to the word "Taoist".
Another three-year period is about to end.
The two embarked on their journey home once again.
This time, however, the atmosphere on Longhu Mountain was completely different from before.
Gone was the tranquility and peace of the past; in its place was a somber atmosphere, as if a storm was brewing.
The old Celestial Master sensed that his time was drawing near.
The ordination ceremony was solemnly held in front of the Sanqing Hall.
This time, almost all the prominent figures from various factions across the land were present, and the audience was enormous.
The Celestial Master Zhang Jingqing, dressed in a dark blue robe, sat regally on a high platform.
He looked even older than he had three years ago, his body withered, but deep within his cloudy eyes burned a final light.
Zhang Zhiwei knelt before him, his expression solemn.
The old celestial master gently placed his palm on Zhang Zhiwei's crown.
There were no earth-shattering phenomena, nor any dazzling lights or shadows.
Only a stream of invisible "Qi," carrying the thousand-year-old tradition and supreme majesty of Longhu Mountain, slowly flowed into Zhang Zhiwei's body.
At that moment, Zhang Zhiwei's usually somewhat lazy body suddenly jolted.
An unprecedented, vast and magnificent aura surged up from his body!
A dazzling golden beam of light shot up from the old celestial master's body and poured into Zhang Zhiwei's body.
That is the Celestial Master's Ordination, the foundation of Longhu Mountain's thousand-year-old Taoist tradition, and a responsibility so heavy it could crush anyone!
Zhang Zhiwei's body trembled violently as a tremendous force far exceeding his own limits erupted within him!
His cultivation level rose steadily at this moment, eventually reaching the same pinnacle!
The old Celestial Master on the high platform seemed to have all his energy and spirit drained away the moment the transmission was completed.
The light in his eyes quickly dimmed, and he became like a stone statue about to crumble, his life force exhausted.
He was helped back to his quiet room on the back mountain by his disciples.
Zhang Yunyuan remained outside the door.
It wasn't until late at night that the tightly closed door slowly opened.
Tian Jinzhong came out, his face covered in tears.
"Junior brother, Master... is gone."
The old Celestial Master exhausted his life's cultivation and passed away peacefully in his quiet room.
He walked peacefully.
The funeral of the Old Celestial Master was held with great solemnity.
Almost all the prominent figures in the world of supernatural beings came.
In front of the mourning hall, Zhang Yunyuan, dressed in heavy mourning clothes, knelt for a long time without getting up.
He looked at the cold memorial tablet and the flickering candlelight, and tears silently streamed down his face, soaking the prayer mat in front of him.
His mentor, who had rescued him from a mountain of corpses and treated him like his own son, ultimately left him.
He remembered himself when he first came up the mountain, a small child who was afraid of everything.
It was his master who, with his warm, large hands, led him into the Celestial Master's Mansion and gave him a home.
He remembered how his master taught him to write, recite scriptures, and be a good person, all while holding his hand.
He remembered how his master would always scold him with a stern face whenever he got into trouble, but deep in his eyes was a concern and love that he could never hide.
He remembered the countless open and hidden attacks his master had shielded him from, and the safe haven his master had created for him so that he could grow up in peace.
Every little thing since I came up the mountain, my master's teachings, care and protection, surged into my heart like a tide.
The grief in his heart was like a ripped wound being rubbed with salt, making it almost impossible for him to breathe.
This separation of life and death has tempered and deepened his mind like never before.
He simply knelt, letting his tears flow freely, as if he wanted to release all the emotions he had accumulated over the past decade.
A hand gently reached out.
That hand still carried a faint scent of earth.
She knelt down beside him and clumsily wiped the tears from his face with her somewhat rough sleeve.
Her movements were very light and careful, as if she were handling a fragile treasure.
She looked at him, and for the first time, a clear emotion called "confusion" appeared in his usually somewhat empty eyes.
She looked at him, and for the first time, a clear, human ripple appeared in his usually empty eyes.
She raised her finger, not to him, but to her own heart, her voice flat, yet like a needle gently piercing the air:
"It hurts here."
"It's starting to hurt here too."
Chapter 111 The Qi Bureau Conceals Immortal Traces, Penglai Holds Immortal Maps
The grand ceremony for the succession of the Celestial Masters of Longhu Mountain was solemn and dignified, yet it carried an indescribable sense of sorrow.
The newly appointed Celestial Master Zhang Zhiwei, dressed in a brand-new nine-heaven black robe, stood before the Sanqing Hall, receiving congratulations from fellow Daoists across the land.
His expression was calm, but his usually sleepy eyes now held a weight as heavy as a mountain.
The legacy of the Celestial Master's lineage weighs on his shoulders not only on the thousand-year-old Taoist tradition of Longhu Mountain, but also on the responsibility of an era and a heavy shackle about the past that could crush anyone.
After helping to handle the funeral arrangements for his mentor Zhang Jingqing, Zhang Yunyuan felt completely drained.
He knelt before the mourning hall, watching the flickering candlelight, and his master's voice, appearance, and smile flashed before his eyes.
From the day he was taken in and brought up the mountain, the old man acted like a real father to him, sheltering him from the wind and rain, teaching him to read and write, and guiding him onto the path of spiritual practice.
That kindness is heavier than mountains and seas.
Now, the mountain that sheltered him has collapsed.
A corner of his heart also became empty.
He didn't know how long he had been kneeling, until his knees were numb, until the candle burned out and the first light of dawn broke.
Feng Baobao stayed quietly by his side the whole time, without saying a word.
She seemed unable to understand what "death" was, nor could she comprehend the overwhelming sorrow in Zhang Yunyuan's heart.
She simply followed his example, kneeling there motionless.
It was as if as long as he didn't move, she could stay with him until the end of time.
This pure companionship became Zhang Yunyuan's only solace at that moment.
As the clamor of the ceremony and the sorrow of the funeral gradually faded, Longhu Mountain returned to its former tranquility.
But the emptiness in Zhang Yunyuan's heart grew stronger.
In this extreme emptiness, the mysterious connection originating from the Cave Heaven Ring and the Twenty-Four Solar Terms Valley reappeared clearly, and was stronger than ever before.
It was as if urging him to complete some unfinished mission.
He knew that the mysterious old man who left behind the legacy in the Twenty-Four Solar Terms Valley had left behind opportunities that went far beyond the self-contained Qi system within the valley.
There must be even deeper, more secluded paradises hidden somewhere in this world, waiting for a destined person to discover them.
And that key might be hidden even deeper within the Twenty-Four Solar Terms Valley.
He turned his head and looked at Feng Baobao beside him, whose eyes were still vacant and who seemed out of place in this world.
A single thought became unwavering in his heart.
Return to that valley that created the "miracle" and also buried the "curse".
Perhaps, for her and for himself, we can find a true way home.
Having made up his mind, he no longer hesitated.
After bidding farewell to the new Celestial Master Zhang Zhiwei, he took Feng Baobao and once again embarked on the journey to the Qinling Mountains.
Upon re-entering the Twenty-Four Solar Terms Valley, the scene before us remained bizarre and strange.
The five elements are in disarray, yin and yang are reversed, and the qi between heaven and earth is as violent and chaotic as ever.
The turbulent energy currents, powerful enough to tear ordinary superhumans to shreds in an instant, raged through the valley, emitting chilling howls.
However, the moment Feng Baobao stepped into the valley...