Chapter 971: A Gathering of Cultivators
Alright, a slip of the pen yesterday—when writing about the Feather Transformation Divine Dynasty repairing something, I shouldn’t have written that name out. Just pretend you didn’t see anything; I quickly revised it then. But surely someone must have noticed.
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Mount Mao. Mention it, and many people think of Mao Mountain Taoists, catching ghosts and subduing demons, because these tales have long been deeply rooted in people’s minds.
For this reason, in the eyes of many, Mount Mao isn’t all that sacred; Taoists are mostly seen as people wielding peachwood swords, holding black dog blood, and brandishing yellow talismans.
However, the truth is far from that.
Mount Mao, because its mountain terrain winds and twists, resembling the character "Yi," is hence named Ququ Mountain, also known as Jinling Difei Mountain. Taoists call it "Ququ’s Jinling, a blessed realm for nurturing truth, a sacred ruin for becoming a deity."
It is the birthplace of the Shangqing sect of Taoism, known as the Shangqing Sect Altar. Most importantly, since ancient times, it has been renowned as "the number one blessed land under heaven."
Taoist sects stand in great numbers, enough to number a hundred or more, yet they can be divided into two branches. In the north, there is Quanzhen; in the south, the Zhengyi sect. And it is only when Shangqing, Lingbao, and the Celestial Master sect are combined that they form the Zhengyi sect.
The Shangqing sect venerates the Primordial Heavenly Venerable, seeking the Dao and immortality since ancient times. It is a most renowned Taoist gate since antiquity, the number one blessed land under heaven, with few that can compare.
Ye Fan came from the north, not using any mode of transportation, but employing the great art of "shrinking the ground into an inch" to traverse thousands of li in an instant, arriving in Jiangsu Province.
Mount Mao is not tall, with lush forests, possessing nine peaks, twenty-six caves, and nineteen springs. The peaks and ridges layer upon layer, captivating and enchanting, embodying the spiritual essence of heaven and earth.
"This is the place, revered as the holy land of Taoism," Ye Fan murmured to himself.
It is revered as the holy land of Taoism, carrying a solemn and sacred meaning, naturally incomparable, protected by all Taoist gates under heaven, not to be profaned.
This lineage has a long history. As early as the ancient Gaoxin era, people cultivated here. Ancient texts record that Shang Gong once practiced breathing techniques at Fulongdi.
Ye Fan entered the mountain, walking not very quickly, carefully observing the mountain’s momentum and every scene, trying to find extraordinary places, because this sect venerates the Primordial Heavenly Venerable above all.
Suddenly, he stopped, standing before a mountain stream, looking at a low peak not far away. He vaguely felt a Dao rhythm of returning to simplicity.
He couldn’t help but walk forward. On the low peak, several people were already standing, all young men and women. From their conversation, Ye Fan learned the name of this place—Baopu Peak.
His mind immediately stirred. This was a very famous place. The stunningly talented Daoist leader Ge Hong once lived here in seclusion for a time, writing the book "Baopuzi," which had a tremendous influence on later generations of Taoism.
"The ancients have turned to smoke."
Ye Fan, not far away, heard this and a faint smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. These people were here to pay homage, sighing with emotion.
"Big brother was born in the wrong era. If it were a time when the spiritual energy of heaven and earth hadn’t dried up, he might have become a sect master. But perhaps there will still be a turning point in the future."
Among the several men and women, one man was surrounded by others. The crowd flattered him, taking him as their leader, as if he possessed extraordinary divine abilities.
"We are merely disciples of a branch lineage; what are we worth?" That big brother shook his head, feeling dispirited, saying to the several men and women of his clan.
"I heard that the main lineage truly produced a heaven-defying genius named Long Xiaoque. Young as he is, he is already highly valued by the ancestral patriarch, who spares no effort to cultivate him," a woman said.
"The main lineage is flourishing. Long Xiaoque’s cultivation is now unfathomably deep. It is said he can compare with senior figures. Truly stunning and unparalleled."
In the distance, a young man and several old Taoists rode the wind, descending before an ancient Daoist temple, and walked inside.
"The young Celestial Master from the birthplace of Taoism, Dragon Tiger Mountain, though he hasn’t made a move, his strength must certainly be extraordinary."
"Of course. Though Taoist sects stand in great numbers now, with many experts, he has long been revered as the ‘Little True Man’ of the younger generation of Taoism."
Soon, a burst of exclamations came. Over a dozen sword lights broke through the air, streaking across the sky and landing. They were led by an old Taoist from the Shangqing sect into a magnificent Daoist temple.
"Those are people from the Immortal Sword Gate of Shu. Surely the young man among them is the famous Zhan Yifan. For a time, he was rumored to be the number one expert of the younger generation. With one sword strike, mountains and rivers lose their color, and opponents are hard to find."
"Number one expert may not be certain, but he should be among the strongest few of his generation. Truly a genius, praised by many seniors."
Ye Fan walked among the crowd, quietly listening to their words, learning many things, and unexpectedly discovering that peerless experts might come this time.
Moreover, people from the Western Dao traditions might also appear, coming to observe this Central Land cultivator gathering.
Falling petals fluttered, crystalline and brilliant. A jade boat crossed through the air, landing on a distant immortal peak, from which over a dozen men and women emerged.
"Those are people from the Kunlun lineage. They’ve come too!"
As soon as these people appeared, they caused a stir, because the people of Kunlun were extremely powerful. Their land was uniquely blessed, with the ancient main dragon vein slumbering, and spiritual energy not completely exhausted. The cultivators who emerged from there commanded awe.
The leader was the sect master of Kunlun, named Xue Chen, whose cultivation was unfathomably deep. This time, he had personally descended. A few senior figures recognized him and were greatly shaken.
"Sect Master Xue Chen once shook the world in years past. Now he has emerged again. The young man and woman behind him are… the renowned ‘Twin Fish’ of today?" someone exclaimed in surprise.
Since ancient times, Kunlun’s status has been very transcendent. When their disciples and followers appear, they naturally attract special attention.
In the present age, Kunlun produced two disciples stunning past and present. The world sighed, saying that if not for the era of the end of the Dharma, these two would surely become saints, showing how extraordinary their talent was.
You Wei Yu was the senior brother, with an imposing aura, cultivating a supreme profound art, a prominent figure of the current era. Yan Xiao Yu was the junior sister, with a slender figure, hair like a waterfall, curved brows, and a beauty that could topple cities and kingdoms. She was even more eye-catching, called the Kunlun Fairy Maiden, with countless admirers. She was one of the most charming women of the present world.
When these two walked together, it could be said they were invincible among the younger generation. Even if others joined forces, they could not defeat them.
"The most talented young prodigies of this age have all come: Long Xiaoque, Phoenix Heavenly Maiden, Zhan Yifan, and the Kunlun Twin Fish. They can be said to dominate an era," someone sighed.
Among them, Phoenix Heavenly Maiden and Yan Xiao Yu had the highest popularity. Two figures like fairy maidens, wherever they were, attracted immense attention, because humans are naturally inclined to appreciate beautiful things.
Ye Fan formally entered the pure land of the Shangqing sect, walking around, listening to the crowd’s discussions while looking for any artifacts related to the Primordial Heavenly Venerable.
Suddenly, he sensed a gaze fall on his back. He couldn’t help but turn his head, seeing a young man staring at him with deep hostility.
His mind stirred. He asked a few young people nearby who that person was. Told it was Long Xiaoque, he was momentarily stunned.
These people avoided him like snakes and scorpions, quickly moving away, not wanting to get into any trouble. Long Xiaoque was at his peak now; who would dare court disaster?
In the present age, who could contend with the Great Xia Longque clan? Long Xiaoque inherited the clan’s Dao tradition, destined to become a giant of the demon clan in the future. No one wished to incur enmity.
"Could it be that the one who wants to kill me is the Great Xia Longque clan?" Ye Fan murmured to himself.
Long Xiaoque swiveled his body, strode away without looking at him further, and disappeared into a Daoist temple.
"Boom"
In the distance, gray mist surged like a sky-covering flood, as if a peerless great demon had emerged. The vast, hazy gray fog blotted out the sun, filled with a terrifying aura.
Several elderly Western cultivators appeared, with gray wings on their backs. They were all very old, even their pupils were lead-gray, extremely frightening.
"These people are so powerful, like several abysses, seemingly able to swallow a person’s soul. My primordial spirit feels like it’s about to leave my body!"
The crowd was startled, all turning to look.
"Hmm, I heard they came to kill, seeking a great divine ability user. Truly reckless, running to our Central Land to show off!"
Many people discussed, keeping their distance from these few.