chsdbacks Chapter 266 The Celestial Master Bows His Head, Gazing Upon Fate and Destiny
Chapter 266 The Celestial Master Bows His Head, Gazing Upon Fate and Destiny
Chapter 266 The Celestial Master Bows His Head, Gazing Upon Fate and Judging Destiny (3.2k)
Longhu Mountain is mainly divided into two areas, east and west.
The buildings on the east side, near the main peak of the Celestial Master Hall, are decorated with dragon, tiger, and thunder patterns on their eaves. The halls are even more magnificent and splendid. They are the residence and cultivation place of Zhang Tianshi's direct descendants and his loyal followers. They have always held the greatest power and resources in the sect.
The buildings on the west side are relatively simple, and they are mostly inhabited by talented disciples and their descendants who have been recruited from outside the region over the years. Although they belong to the same Celestial Masters sect, they have long been engaged in open and covert struggles and harboring grudges with the direct line of the Eastern branch due to their different origins.
At this moment, on the top floor of an elegant pavilion in the western region, the current head of Longhu Mountain, Celestial Master Qingxu, stands with his hands behind his back by the window, gazing towards the direction of the mountain gate.
He was dressed in a purple Taoist robe, with a lean face, three long strands of beard flowing down his chest, and an aura as deep as the sea. He was clearly a manifested saintly lord.
Although he was not a direct descendant of the Zhang family, he ascended to the position of sect leader with the support of disciples from outside the sect, thanks to his amazing talent and skill, after the East-West War ended and one of the Zhang family's True Lords had fallen.
However, for many years it has been hampered by the faction of Zhang Hongyuan, the Supreme Elder of the Eastern Vein.
He had witnessed the entire scene down the mountain, but his face remained expressionless, showing neither sorrow nor joy, and he made no move whatsoever.
Zhang Lingfeng's death didn't stir much emotion in him. He even vaguely felt that this might be an opportunity, an opportunity to break the long-standing monopoly of the Eastern lineage and truly rectify the family's conduct.
Therefore, he chose to wait and see.
From the direction of the ancestral temple on the eastern branch, a violent aura of anger soared into the sky.
A figure enveloped in dazzling lightning instantly traversed half a mountain and appeared above the mountain gate, manifesting as a hundred-foot-tall phantom image of a Thunder Emperor, clad in a Thunder Emperor's robe and wielding a Thunder Hammer.
It was none other than Elder Zhang Hongyuan, one of the two sages of Longhu Mountain.
Zhang Hongyuan's beard and hair stood on end, and lightning crackled all around him, revealing the raging fury within him.
He stared intently at Li Xijun, who was still dressed in a straw raincoat and bamboo hat below, his voice like rolling thunder, shaking the mountains:
"Lord Li, you are now a revered and respected Lord Manifestation, why do you disregard your status and use such cruel methods against a mere Nascent Soul cultivator? Your methods are far too ruthless and decisive!"
Li Xijun slowly removed her bamboo hat, revealing her true face, a faint hint of mockery on her lips, as she looked up to meet the gaze of the man with the thunderous expression:
"A junior? Elder Zhang must be senile. If I'm not mistaken, that person was at least thirty years old. I, on the other hand, am only twenty. In terms of age, who is the junior? As for ruthlessness..."
His tone turned cold, and his voice carried clearly in all directions:
"Your Longhu Mountain followers are corrupt, raising such a vicious person. How dare you harbor evil thoughts before the divine manifestation! How are you any different from the jackals of the Western Lands?"
"We cultivators should hold reverence in our hearts. To disrespect a True Lord, to be greedy for power without self-awareness, is to court death!"
"I'm cleaning up your sect's mess on behalf of Longhu Mountain. How can that be considered ruthless? It's just to save him from causing trouble for your sect in the future."
"Arrogant junior, stop your nonsense!"
Zhang Hongyuan's anger intensified after being choked by Li Xijun's words, especially the phrase "senile old man," which struck a nerve.
He laughed in fury, "Fine! Fine, so you're going to clean house for me! Today, let this old man see just what extraordinary abilities this True Lord Li, who embodies the three religions, possesses to dare run wild on my Dragon Tiger Mountain!"
The voice has not fallen,
Zhang Hongyuan suddenly swung the Thunder Emperor's Heart Image, wielding the Thunder Hammer formed from countless electric snakes.
In an instant,
The world changes color, and the winds and clouds gather.
Bolts of purple lightning, as thick as buckets, descended like thunder dragons, carrying a destructive aura, striking Li Xijun from all directions.
This is the infamous "Nine Heavens Divine Thunder" of Longhu Mountain, powerful enough to flatten a mountain peak; even ordinary deities dare not withstand it head-on.
Faced with the boundless sea of lightning, Li Xijun remained unmoved, and did not even fully manifest his mental form. He simply raised his right hand and made a sweeping motion in the void ahead.
"The Unborn Mother, the Realm of Emptiness."
A dark and deep rift, seemingly connecting to an unknown void, quietly appeared.
All the purple lightning bolts that had been slashing down with such force vanished the moment they touched the crack, like mud sinking into the sea, without even causing a ripple. They were completely swallowed up and annihilated by the dark void, as if they had never existed.
"Spatial magic?!" Zhang Hongyuan's pupils suddenly contracted, and he exclaimed in shock.
The ability to so easily annihilate his Nine Heavens Divine Thunder was no ordinary spatial technique!
This child's miraculous powers were far more terrifying than he had imagined!
With just one probing move, Zhang Hongyuan, a veteran True Monarch who had lived for over a hundred years and experienced the bloody battle of the first East-West War, was filled with turbulent waves of emotion.
He instantly realized that Li Xijun's mental foundation was far more solid and his supernatural abilities far superior to his own.
I'm afraid I'm no match for them!
The reason he survived that brutal battle was...
It relied on an extraordinary ability to assess situations and a survival instinct.
Face, dignity, and even the lives of future generations of the family can all be sacrificed in the face of an absolute disparity in strength and a life-or-death crisis.
In the blink of an eye, Zhang Hongyuan had already decided to back down. His angry expression vanished, and he was about to say something like, "Fellow Daoist's supernatural abilities are astonishing, I admire them. Perhaps there is another misunderstanding in this matter," to appease the other party first.
however,
Li Xijun came here today to establish his authority and suppress the arrogant attitude of Longhu Mountain. How could he give him an easy way out?
Just as Zhang Hongyuan's lips moved but before he could utter a sound, Li Xijun moved.
He made a fist and sent it out from a distance.
The illusory image of the Supreme Heavenly Venerable of the Unity of the Three Teachings reappeared behind him. Although it was not fully solidified, it already exuded a majestic power that suppressed everything.
Xinxiang then formed the Buddhist Great Vow Fist Mudra, which contained the power of the world's birth and death. It was simple, yet it seemed to contain the Pure Land's will of immeasurable light and immeasurable life. He punched Zhang Hongyuan's Thunder Emperor Xinxiang from a distance!
This punch was unavoidable and unstoppable!
"Not good!" Zhang Hongyuan only had time to hold the Thunder Hammer in front of him and use all his strength to activate his mental energy to resist.
"Thump—!"
A deep, resounding clang, like the striking of an ancient bell, rang out!
As if struck by a heavy blow, Zhang Hongyuan's Thunder Emperor Heart Form instantly dissipated by more than half of the lightning surrounding his body.
The thunder hammer groaned under the strain, and clear cracks appeared on its surface.
The physical form of the mind also shook violently and became much more illusory, clearly indicating that it had suffered serious damage.
Zhang Hongyuan groaned, his face turned pale, his soul trembled, and he was utterly horrified.
Just one punch!
His spiritual cultivation, which he had painstakingly maintained for a hundred years, was almost shattered!
Li Xijun remained expressionless as his fist clenched again, and the second punch was about to land.
If this punch lands, Zhang Hongyuan's mental state will likely collapse, and a severe loss of cultivation would be the least of his worries!
"Li Zhenjun! Show mercy!"
At the critical moment, a calm yet authoritative voice rang out.
At the same time, a beam of clear light rose from the direction of the Celestial Master's Hall, transforming into the mental image of the "Lingbao Celestial Master," who was also nearly a hundred feet tall, wearing a lotus crown, an Eight Trigrams Immortal Robe, and holding the Pure Brightness Dharma Seal, blocking Zhang Hongyuan's mental image.
It was the sect leader, Celestial Master Qingxu Zhenren, who finally made his appearance.
The image of Master Qingxu did not reveal any aggression, but rather emanated a righteous and peaceful Daoist aura. He nodded slightly towards Li Xijun's image and said:
"Lord Li, please calm down. Today's events are all due to the lax discipline of our Longhu Mountain. Our disciple Zhang Lingfeng offended you first, and Elder Zhang Hongyuan, out of protectiveness, acted rashly afterward. The fault lies entirely with Longhu Mountain."
"As the sect leader, I hereby apologize to the True Lord!"
His words were clear, placing the blame on the sect and adopting an extremely humble posture:
"The True Lord has cleaned up the sect and rectified its atmosphere, for which I am truly grateful."
"From this day forward, all of us on Longhu Mountain must strictly abide by the laws of the imperial court, uphold the duties of cultivators, and never again act arrogantly."
"To express my apologies, I humbly request that you move to the Celestial Master's Hall, where I may prepare some tea. Longhu Mountain has generous gifts to offer in order to make up for today's mistake and to thank you for your guidance."
These words were quite a concession to Li Xijun, as they acknowledged his mistake, showed a willingness to back down, and even offered compensation.
Seeing this, Li Xijun dispersed the fist imprint, and the illusory image in his mind also slowly dissipated.
His original intention was to establish his authority and demand the Tribulation Manual. Since the other sect leader was so sensible, he naturally wouldn't press the matter any further.
"Since Master Qingxu says so, it would be impolite of me to refuse."
Li Xijun smiled faintly, her figure rising gracefully, transforming into a streak of light, and flying straight towards the Celestial Master's Hall on the mountaintop.
The severely injured Supreme Elder Zhang Hongyuan breathed a sigh of relief after seeing Li Xijun leave.
He quickly withdrew his nearly shattered heart, his face turning pale and then red, but he didn't dare to utter a single harsh word, nor did he dare to look in the direction of the Celestial Master's Hall. He slunk away, transforming into a bolt of lightning, and fled back to his cave to heal his wounds.
He could only swallow the humiliation he suffered today.
This incident undoubtedly dealt a heavy blow to the arrogance of the direct descendants of the eastern branch of Longhu Mountain.
The direct descendants of the Zhang family on Longhu Mountain all stayed behind closed doors, pretending to be dead.
Li Xijun, who had followed Master Qingxu into the west-side private room, had barely sat down when, without waiting for the usual tea and pleasantries, he spoke directly:
"For what happened today, Celestial Master Qingxu owes me a favor."
Master Qingxu was taken aback when he heard this, but he did not make any false statements. Instead, he immediately nodded in agreement.
"Indeed, I do owe Lord Li a favor for what happened today."
But after speaking, the Taoist priest's gaze fell on Li Xijun, and he directly pointed out:
"When Lord Li ascends the throne and takes control of the Great Sheng Dynasty, the Celestial Masters of Longhu Mountain will surely obey His Majesty's decree and will never again violate the laws of the court."
This time, it was Li Xijun's turn to be stunned.
He finally revealed a somewhat solemn expression, scrutinizing the Qingxu Celestial Master before him.
Knowing what Li Xijun wanted to ask, Master Qingxu didn't try to be mysterious and simply said:
"My Longhu Mountain has a history of three thousand years. During this time, there have been celestial masters who have helped the dragons compete for the throne. Although there have been victories and defeats, and each one is different, many supernatural arts of observing fortune and judging destiny have been passed down."
"Li Zhenjun possesses a destiny far surpassing that of the eight princes in the court. Moreover, he has experienced the martial arts competition before the emperor. His Majesty could not possibly be unaware of this."
When Master Qingxu spoke of this area where Taoism excels, he spoke with great eloquence:
"Therefore, I have made some calculations. I am afraid that the Duke Boyan who took the Ninth Princess out of the capital and into Tianjin and His Majesty have already made arrangements. The Ninth Princess is the real dragon born in the world, and Li Zhenjun is probably the person chosen by the princess."
"In this way, the answers to all of the True Lord's miraculous abilities and rapid progress can be found."
(End of this chapter)