svetikya Page 137
Page 137
"Regarding this, I have heard some unverified legends circulating among a very small number of older generation extraordinary people."
He glanced out the window, as if afraid someone would overhear, “It is said that in a very distant era, so distant that existing historical records are blurred, there may have truly existed on this land beneath our feet… ‘immortals’.”
"An immortal?" Zhang Chulan's eyes widened.
Xu San nodded, "Immortality, moving mountains and filling seas, roaming freely between heaven and earth—that is immortality."
Some even speculate that the origins of the "Eight Extraordinary Skills," which later caused countless disputes, may be related to the relics or traditions left behind by these ancient immortals.
He looked at Zhang Chulan and said, "So, some people speculate that the reason why Senior Yunyuan's appearance is so youthful is because..."
Perhaps... it was through some fortuitous coincidence that they touched upon the realm truly belonging to 'immortals,' or rather, they obtained a 'fate to immortality' far beyond the comprehension of modern supernatural beings.
Zhang Chulan was stunned and murmured subconsciously, "Immortals...do immortals really exist in this world?"
His gaze unconsciously drifted to the side and landed on Feng Baobao, who was still engrossed in playing the game, her eyes vacant, seemingly out of place in this world.
A "young master" whose appearance never seems to age.
A mysterious figure with terrifying strength, whose age is also impossible to discern: "Sister Bao'er".
In an instant, countless questions surged in Zhang Chulan's mind, along with an indescribable, bottomless chill and curiosity.
He didn't know what to believe, but he knew he seemed to be standing on the edge of a huge mystery, one that was far more profound and bizarre than he had imagined.
Chapter 159 Longhu Mountain Night Market
Night fell, like a giant sheet of ink-black paper, slowly spreading across the sky above Longhu Mountain.
The stars were sparse, and the moonlight was obscured by a thin layer of clouds, leaving only a few rays of cool light that gilded everything in the mountains with a layer of silver frost.
However, the foot of the mountain, which should have been quiet, was now completely ignited by a burst of smoke and bustling noise.
On the last night before the official start of the Luotian Grand Ritual, the spontaneously formed night market at the foot of the mountain was already bustling with people and extremely lively.
This is no ordinary night market, but a grand event unique to the world of extraordinary people.
The air was filled not only with the aroma of food, but also with wisps of Qi of varying strengths and properties.
They intertwine and collide with each other, yet maintain a wonderful balance, forming a vibrant and restless atmosphere of the martial arts world unique to this era.
Zhang Chulan followed behind Xu San and Xu Si, his eyes almost unable to take it all in. He looked like a country bumpkin being brought to the city by his grandmother for the first time, and his mouth never closed.
"Holy crap! Holy crap!"
He lowered his voice, tugged at Xu Si's sleeve, his tone filled with disbelief and shock, and... a hint of inexplicable business acumen:
"Fourth Brother, look at that! A disciple of the Fire Virtue Sect is actually controlling fire with his palm to grill skewers!"
The heat control was incredibly precise!
Look at those meat skewers, perfectly grilled, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, sizzling with oil! If someone with that skill opened a barbecue restaurant, wouldn't they steal all the business from the entire street?!
Not far away, at a makeshift stall, a burly disciple of the Fire Virtue Sect stood shirtless, with two orange-red flames burning in his palms.
With focused expression, his wrists flicked, and the flames in his palms would sometimes turn into raging fire, locking in the juices of the meat.
Sometimes it's turned into a low flame, slowly roasting to extract the oil.
Dozens of skewers of meat flew up and down in his hands, and not a single one was burnt. The aroma filled the air, attracting a long queue in front of the stall.
"And that one! That old man who makes sugar figurines!"
Zhang Chulan pointed to the other side, "What he blows out are either dragons or phoenixes. When I see him blowing, the breath in his mouth has a 'life-giving' energy, making the sugar figurines he blows look like they're alive!"
With this skill, you could easily earn a hundred or two hundred yuan a day by setting up a stall at a temple fair.
There was a gaunt old man with a small pot of syrup boiling in front of him.
He focused his energy in his dantian and exhaled a long breath of qi, causing the syrup in his hand to rapidly expand and take shape as if it had been given life.
In the blink of an eye, a phoenix poised for flight took shape, lifelike and drawing cheers.
Even more extreme, at a booth belonging to a physical cultivation sect, a muscular man was performing a feat of breaking a large stone on his chest.
But what he was performing was not ordinary hard qigong. The bluestone slab had clearly been blessed by another companion with talismans, making it far harder than ordinary rocks.
With a loud shout, the burly man unleashed his protective qi, and the hammer slammed down, shattering the stone slab. Yet, he remained unharmed, drawing thunderous cheers and donations from the onlookers.
Zhang Chulan was dazzled and his heart was surging. He felt as if the door to his new world had been kicked open even wider.
So superpowers... can be used like this?
This is simply a dimensionality reduction attack!
His mind was already rapidly developing his business blueprint:
Golden Light Mantra brand flashlight: energy-saving, environmentally friendly, and high-brightness;
Yang Wulei brand electric shock stun gun, knocks you down instantly, a must-have for home and travel...
"Look at your potential."
Xu Si, with a cigarette dangling from his lips, glanced at him lazily and exhaled a smoke ring.
"All you ever think about is how to make money. Can't you be a little more like a disciple of the Celestial Master's Mansion?"
Can a superior demeanor feed you?
Zhang Chulan retorted confidently, "Besides, this is called deeply integrating superpowers with the tertiary industry, which is an advanced concept that conforms to the development of the times!"
Feng Baobao, standing to the side, completely ignored their conversation. Her clear eyes were fixed on a cotton candy stall.
Watching the white sugar strands being rolled up in the machine, eventually turning into a huge "cloud," for the first time, a feeling called "longing" appeared in her eyes.
She tugged at Zhang Chulan's sleeve, pointed at the cotton candy, and said succinctly.
Zhang Chulan immediately waved his hand generously, and was about to take out his money, but Xu San stopped him.
Xu San pushed up his glasses, his expression serious:
"Chu Lan, don't forget the old master's instructions. Go back and rest early tonight to conserve your energy. Tomorrow is the real business."
Just then, the satellite phone in Xu San's pocket, which was specially encrypted, suddenly emitted a very slight vibration that only the few of them could detect.
Xu San's expression changed instantly. He walked to a quiet corner and answered the phone.
In just over ten seconds, when he returned, the composure and calmness that belonged to a company executive had vanished from his face, replaced by a solemn expression as if a storm was brewing.
"problem occurs."
He lowered his voice and said urgently, "The company has just detected that about four or five extremely powerful Qi auras have appeared on Longhu Mountain."
Upon hearing this, Xu Si also dropped his nonchalant demeanor and frowned: "How strong?"
"Very strong."
A hint of horror flashed behind Xu San's glasses, "Each one is as powerful as a sect leader."
Moreover, their movements were extremely mysterious; our surveillance network on the back mountain failed to capture how they got up the mountain.
It's certain they're not those lunatics from the Quanxing sect. Their methods are more subtle, and also more... dangerous.
"I will contact Senior Yunyuan immediately."
Xu San made a decisive decision.
He quickly dialed Zhang Yunyuan's number and reported the intelligence in the most concise language.
On the other end of the phone, Zhang Yunyuan's voice remained calm, without any apparent emotion.
"understood."
"Stay put, keep the news under wraps, and don't alert the enemy."
Take Chu Lan back to rest, and pretend nothing happened.
After hanging up the phone, Xu San looked at Zhang Chulan, who looked completely bewildered, and Feng Baobao, who was still staring at the cotton candy, and felt a mix of emotions.
He knew that this seemingly lively Luo Tian Grand Ceremony had, from this moment on, completely deviated from its original course and slid into an unknown and dangerous abyss.
He forced a smile and patted Zhang Chulan on the shoulder:
"Let's go, Chu Lan. Be good and go back to sleep."
On the other side, in a secluded side room on the back mountain of the Celestial Master's Mansion.
Zhang Yunyuan put down the phone, his brows furrowing almost imperceptibly.
Surpassing the pinnacle? Four or five people?
Not the Quanxing Sect yet?
He quietly arrived at the night market and found Xu San, Xu Si, and Feng Baobao.
Zhang Yunyuan extended two fingers, and at the fingertips, two barely perceptible wisps of chaotic energy quietly flowed.
He used his fingers as a brush to quickly sketch the two wisps of Qi.
A moment later, he gently pressed one of the strands onto his face.
His facial muscles twitched very subtly, his originally handsome features became somewhat ordinary, and his demeanor changed from that of a refined Taoist priest to that of a somewhat down-on-his-luck middle-aged scholar.
He then pressed another strand of hair onto Feng Baobao's face.
Feng Baobao's delicate face also changed, becoming more rustic, and her eyes became increasingly dull, like a silly girl who had just come from the mountains and had never seen the world.
This is not a sophisticated disguise; it is simply using Qi to disrupt one's own aura and change the first impression of one's facial features, enough to go unnoticed in a chaotic crowd.
After doing all this, Zhang Yunyuan, along with Feng Baobao, like two wisps of smoke, silently disappeared into the night in the mountains, heading stealthily towards the still bustling night market.
Chapter 160 Unknown Energy
The night market at the foot of Longhu Mountain is still bustling, with colorful lights and swirling smoke making the valley look like a bizarre dream.
Holding Feng Baobao's hand, Zhang Yunyuan blended into the bustling crowd, like two drops of water flowing into a river, inconspicuous.
His face, simply modified by the "Thousand-Faced Ghost Hand," made him look like a down-on-his-luck middle-aged man taking his silly daughter out to see the world; no one would give them a second glance.
But his senses had already spread like an invisible spider web, quietly covering every corner of the entire night market.
In the air, hundreds and thousands of streams of Qi belonging to the extraordinary beings intertwined, creating a chaotic and mixed atmosphere.
They possess the fiery masculinity of the Huode Sect disciples, the mellow and peaceful nature of the Wudang disciples, and the sinister and treacherous nature of the Tang Clan disciples.