svetikya Page 70
Page 70
His tone was intimate and familiar, like an ordinary senior brother giving instructions to his junior brother.
Zhao Tieshan and Feng Ping's thinking completely stopped.
Zhang Zhiwei, the undisputed number one genius of Longhu Mountain, not only calls Daoist Yunyuan "Yunyuan," but also says that his "master" told him to call him that.
Who else could be called "Master" by Zhang Zhiwei, besides the legendary figure Zhang Jingqing, the Old Celestial Master?!
A prestigious identity that sent chills down their spines clearly into view—
The "Master Yunyuan" who guided them back then was actually the old Celestial Master's closed-door disciple, Zhang Zhiwei's junior brother, and the highly respected "Junior Uncle" of Longhu Mountain!
"Gulp." Zhao Tieshan swallowed hard, feeling his legs go weak.
Fengping's mouth was also agape in an "O" shape, and he couldn't close it for a long time.
The two looked at each other and saw extreme shock in each other's eyes!
In another corner of the crowd, a young man named Zhou Sheng, dressed in a Wudang Taoist robe and with a calm and composed demeanor, also fixed his gaze on Zhang Yunyuan.
His shock was no less than that of Zhao Tieshan and the other two, but the source was completely different.
He was horrified to discover that more than a decade had passed since that moonlit debate at the Golden Summit of Wudang Mountain, and he was now nearing forty, middle-aged.
But the Zhang Yunyuan before me, his appearance, figure, and even the clear and bright look in his eyes, are exactly the same as they were back then!
Time seemed to have left no trace on him; this extraordinary "unchanging" appearance could not be explained by ordinary anti-aging techniques.
A storm raged in Zhou Sheng's heart. Zhang Yunyuan's words that pointed directly to the origin during their discussion of the Dao seemed to have been astonishingly confirmed at this moment.
Just as everyone was lost in thought, the atmosphere in the room suddenly froze.
As the focus of the entire event, Wugensheng stood alone in the center of the hall, calmly accepting the gazes from all directions—some filled with hatred, some with curiosity, and some with scrutiny.
"Rootless!"
The new leader of the Sanyi Sect stepped forward, staring intently at Wugensheng, his voice hoarse with extreme anger.
"How exactly did my master die?!"
"Give him an explanation!"
The leaders and elders of various sects also shouted questions in a stern voice.
The outcry was like a tidal wave, and the questions were as heavy as a mountain.
Wugensheng looked around at the crowd, at those eyes blinded by hatred and prejudice, and let out a long sigh.
Can he tell the truth?
He couldn't tell these people that Zuo Ruotong didn't die from murder, but from the "Dao" he had pursued all his life.
He couldn't say that the "Triple Rebirth" technique that the Sanyi Sect was so proud of, and its ultimate "Ascension to Immortality," was a complete scam.
Once this cruel truth is revealed, the foundation of faith for the Sanyi Sect, a prestigious sect with a history spanning over a thousand years, will instantly collapse.
All disciples in the sect will, like Zuo Ruotong, have their Dao hearts shattered and become mere walking corpses.
Zuo Ruotong himself will be transformed from a revered grandmaster into a sinner who betrays his master and misleads future generations.
The price is too heavy.
It was so heavy that even someone as free-spirited and unrestrained as Wugensheng could not bear it.
Faced with interrogation from various factions, Wugensheng chose to take full responsibility.
He slowly raised his head, his gaze calmly meeting everyone's.
"The death of the Left Sect Master is indeed related to me."
His voice wasn't loud, but it reached everyone's ears clearly.
With a single sentence, he took all the blame upon himself.
As for the specific details, he remained silent, refusing to utter another word no matter how much the crowd pressed him.
Finally, witnessed by Longhu Mountain and various righteous sects, he and Lu Guo, the new leader of the Sanyi Sect, made a three-point agreement.
First, all hatred within the Sanyi Sect should be directed solely at Wugensheng and should not extend to other members of the Quanxing Sect.
Secondly, from this day forward, he will face endless pursuit and relentless attacks from the Trinity Sect.
Third, the members of Quanxing shall not seek revenge against Sanyimen or any other righteous sects because of this matter.
A bloody storm that was about to sweep across the entire world of supernatural beings was forcibly suppressed by Wugensheng all by himself.
Although the Trinity was unwilling to accept this outcome, they had no choice but to accept it.
Lu Jin stood at the back of the crowd, watching the back of that figure who calmly accepted all the accusations and hatred. The flames of hatred in his bloodshot eyes did not diminish in the slightest.
On the contrary, this frustration and powerlessness of "being unable to completely avenge himself" planted a seed of even more obsessive and insane inner demons in his heart.
Zhang Huaiyi, who had been silently observing all of this, looked at Wugensheng, who had single-handedly quelled a catastrophe, and for the first time, a deep interest appeared in his eyes.
This "demon" despised by the world seems... completely different from what he imagined.
What secrets does he hold?
A thought quietly took root and sprouted in Zhang Huaiyi's heart.
Chapter 81 The Echoing Sounds of the Cave Heaven, The Promise of Chang'an
The aftermath of the Sanygate incident, like a stone thrown into a lake, has rippled for a long time.
Li Muxuan knew that he had no place to stand on this land of China.
His past betrayal of his master and his involvement with the Quanxing Sect had long made him a thorn in the side of the righteous path.
Now, burdened with the indelible stain of "causing Zuo Ruotong's death," he has become the target of public criticism.
Under Wugensheng's meticulous arrangements, he quietly went into hiding and eventually crossed the ocean on a merchant ship.
After many twists and turns, he finally ended up on Nathan Island, a lawless land not under the jurisdiction of any country.
From then on, the world of extraordinary beings in China was no longer home to the "evil child" Li Muxuan, but only a lonely soul struggling to survive in darkness and chaos.
Time flies like an arrow; in the blink of an eye, another year has passed.
That year, on Mount Longhu, Zhang Huaiyi encountered a bottleneck in his spiritual practice.
His Golden Light Mantra has reached perfection, and his Thunder Magic has also become highly proficient, possessing immense power.
Among his peers in the world of supernatural beings, apart from the unfathomable senior brother Zhang Zhiwei, he considered himself to be invincible.
But he always felt that something was missing from his path.
He lacked a real, thrilling life-or-death battle, and he lacked an opponent from whom he could unleash all his power without reservation.
He thought of Wugensheng.
The man who single-handedly quelled a massive upheaval at the Sanyi Gate.
That "demon" who was despised by the world, yet who aroused his immense curiosity.
Unable to suppress his fighting spirit and curiosity, Zhang Huaiyi ultimately failed to uphold the strict rules and regulations of the mountain.
He found an opportunity and went down the mountain on his own.
He was going to find Wugensheng, not for revenge, not for discussion, but simply to have a good fight and find a chance to break through on the edge of life and death.
That year, after experiencing the Sanyi Gate incident, Wugensheng's mindset began to change subtly.
Zuo Ruotong's death struck him like a heavy hammer blow.
He began to have a deeper doubt about the so-called "rules" and "good and evil" of this world.
He increasingly felt that all things in this world, whether so-called righteous cultivation methods or evil heretical paths, might have the same origin.
The only difference is in people's hearts.
He became increasingly eager to verify his hypothesis and longed to find someone who could truly understand him and walk alongside him.
He thought of Zhang Yunyuan.
The boy who, along with him, comprehended the Dao in the Twenty-Four Solar Terms Valley and seemed to have also acquired some mysterious abilities.
In August of that year, the ancient capital of Chang'an was bathed in clear autumn air.
Wugensheng was sitting by the window of a restaurant, looking at the bustling crowd below. He stroked the ancient-looking Dongtian ring on his finger, and a thought suddenly struck him.
He slowly poured a wisp of Qi, containing his own thoughts, into the ring.
On Longhu Mountain, thousands of miles away, Zhang Yunyuan, who was sitting quietly on the back mountain, suddenly opened his eyes.
He felt a very faint yet exceptionally clear vibration emanating from the Heavenly Ring on his left index finger.
An invisible wave, following a mysterious trajectory he couldn't comprehend, traversed thousands of mountains and rivers, precisely reaching his soul.
One place, one time.
[Chang'an, Eight Immortals Palace, ten days later.]
A barely perceptible smile curved the corners of Zhang Yunyuan's lips.
He knew that Wugensheng was looking for him.
Judging by the time, the time for the gathering of the Thirty-Six Thieves in Qinling is getting closer and closer. Zhang Huaiyi's whereabouts are unknown, and he may have already made contact with Wugensheng.
He also wanted to ask about the whereabouts of his second senior brother.
Zhang Yunyuan immediately stood up and asked Tian Jinzhong for leave, citing the excuse of "going down the mountain to buy what he needs for his retreat."
At this time, on Mount Longhu, the Old Celestial Master often spent time with Zhang Zhiwei, preaching and teaching, seemingly preparing Zhang Zhiwei to take over the Celestial Master's lineage.
Zhang Huaiyi went down the mountain, and Zhang Yunyuan was too young, so Tian Jinzhong took charge of everything on the mountain.
Now, Tian Jinzhong trusts his "blessed" junior brother completely and naturally doesn't ask many questions, only reminding him to go and come back early and to be careful.
Zhang Yunyuan quietly descended the mountain once again.
Several days later, he arrived in the ancient capital of Chang'an.
As he walked through the bustling streets, an ancient and solemn Taoist temple came into view.
It was the Eight Immortals Palace.
Originally built in the Song Dynasty, this temple has undergone renovations over several generations and is the largest and best-preserved Taoist temple in Chang'an.