Yinshan Record

Chapter 540 Fortune and Misfortune are Hard to Determine (Part 2)
What truly enabled this eighth-generation leader to achieve immortal feats was his unwavering dedication over decades.

After becoming the Supreme Elder, the eighth generation sect leader who entered the Void Realm spent a lot of time researching. He visited many major sects and carefully examined their records. He even went so far as to dig up graves. Finally, with the help of Xuandu Palace, he restored the background of the founding master of Yuyang Mountain.

The two who played chess on Tiandu Peak were, firstly, the infamous Lord of the End of Dharma, the Demon King of Juntian Guangle, who was said to be inextricably linked to the destruction of the ancient Heavenly Court. His influence was widespread in the outer void, and he was considered one of the most dangerous Lords of the End of Dharma in the entire universe.

As the Lord of the End of Dharma, he naturally could not send his true form to the Central Plains. The person who appeared at the summit of Tiandu Peak at that time was the former head of the Great Sun Sect, who was later corrupted by his demonic influence, the Celestial Azure Immortal. The person who played chess with the Lord of the End of Dharma at that time was even more peculiar, the head of the Jade Scenery Sect, a mysterious being named Thousand Illusions.

The Jade Scenery Path does not establish a sect, but rather operates discreetly in the world, pursuing the supreme Dao and practicing the supreme method of detachment. The teachings are passed down from master to disciple, but there are no concepts of sect leader or patriarch. The highest authority within the sect is held by a peculiar individual known as Thousand Illusions. Each time this person appears in the mortal realm, not only does his appearance change, but his supernatural abilities also completely transform.

However, the only thing that remained the same was that he possessed the powerful cultivation of a peak-level Immortal and his ever-changing personality.

The last time he appeared, he was probably kind, so kind as to be almost cowardly. If you rebuked him to his face, he would only choose to silently endure it. If you attacked him for some reason, he could only silently defend himself and dared not retaliate at all.

However, he could be ruthless at times; even a glance from him could lead to his complete annihilation. He was once benevolent, helping countless cultivators who had nowhere else to turn to find a way forward. He was also vengeful, spending a thousand years reducing a small, powerful sect that had offended him to ruins.

No one can see through him, no one can fathom him.

Some even say that Qianhuan was never a single person, but a group. Others say that Yujingdao had long been corrupted by the Heavenly Demon, and that Qianhuan's appearance was merely a ruse by the Lord of the End of Dharma behind the scenes.

However, each explanation has its own rationale. And when these explanations are put together, they also depict the terror of the Thousand Illusions from a different perspective.

Neither Juntian Guangletian Demon King nor Qianhuan of Yujingdao were benevolent seniors who liked to mentor younger generations.

Did the Jade Yang Mountain Patriarch, who received guidance from the two of them, receive a blessing from a senior in the Xuanmen sect, or a curse from the Lord of the End of Dharma?
No one has the answer, nor does anyone need one.

The verification of the eighth generation leader was enough to naturally divide the sect. The voices of the disciples who were determined to follow the righteous path of cultivation were huge. Finally, the seventh generation leader announced that he would pass on the position to him and then retire to the mountains. The eighth generation leader also proved the correctness of this choice with his actions.

After the eighth sect leader attained immortality, he ascended to the Xuandu Palace. Through painstaking efforts, he finally persuaded the Xuandu Palace to intervene and correct the parts of the sect's classic texts that contained temptations to demonic possession. Furthermore, he abolished almost all the secret techniques that led to demonic cultivation, such as the "Five Weapons Sword Gu." In the end, he removed the rotten and preserved the pure, opening up a clean path for future cultivators.

If all goes well, Yuyang Mountain may be heading towards a better future.

But an accident still happened.

The abdicated seventh-generation sect leader deliberately fell into demonic possession and colluded with a large number of elders and disciples to launch an attack, directly targeting the eighth-generation sect leader in the name of restoring order.

At that time, facing the seventh generation sect leader who had already become a demon and survived the heavenly tribulation, the eighth generation sect leader, who was only the Immortal of Longevity, had almost no power to fight back. However, the eighth generation sect leader still managed to defeat the former sect leader who had become a demon.

The source of his victory was the goodwill he had cultivated during his travels throughout the land.

The Xuan Ying Sword, belonging to the Western White Emperor, one of the Five Emperors of the Five Directions, did not perish with the ancient Heavenly Court. Instead, it ended up in the mortal realm. By chance, the eighth sect leader gained the Xuan Ying Sword's approval and brought this divine weapon, imbued with a sword spirit, back to the sect. When the seventh sect leader, now possessed by a demon, joined forces with others to storm Tian Du Peak, he faced the eighth sect leader wielding the Xuan Ying Sword.

That was a battle that nearly wiped out Yuyang Mountain.

The same sword energy, the same lineage, and the same unwavering belief that they are on the right side—these fellow disciples are engaged in a life-or-death struggle.

In the end, the eighth generation leader won, but it was a fierce and devastating victory.

Almost all the immortal cultivators in the sect were wiped out, and those who remained were barely clinging to life. Of the surviving disciples, less than one in ten survived.

At that time, Yuyang Mountain was tantamount to destruction.

However, the eighth generation leader persevered and, through hardship, reopened the mountain forest.

The eighth-generation sect leader, who was already severely injured, built the current Ancestral Hall brick by brick without using any of his magical power. He gave up his own cultivation and the possibility of advancing further to overcome the Heavenly Tribulation, using all his energy to discipline his disciples, nurture his students, and accumulate precious vital energy for Yuyang Mountain.

Yuyang Mountain survived, but he is gone forever.

However, before he reached his end, he planned out the future for Yuyang Mountain.

The lineage of Yuyang Mountain is fundamentally flawed and simply insufficient to withstand the competition from relocating to the East Sea. The day the sect moves to the East Sea will likely be the day of its demise. While the Central Plains have various restrictions, it is the core area controlled by Xuandu Palace, making it the safest place for the sect.

As for the later disciples, they must find ways to make up for the deficiencies in the sect's scriptures. Only when another Grandmaster of the Tribulation Techniques emerges from Yuyang Mountain and the sect's scripture system is restored to completeness can they make further plans.

"Perhaps every cloud has a silver lining. After this great calamity, Xuandu Palace recognized Yuyang Mountain's determination to uphold the righteous path and has provided us with much support. Now that the ancient underworld has appeared, Xuandu Palace has sent us a crucial piece of information. There is an ancient tradition there that can fill the gaps in our sect and be regarded as the foundation."

Cangyuan Zhenren looked at Xue Baizhi and said, "Our sect's 'Returning Wind and Withered Snow Sword Qi' was passed down from Yujing Dao, and this lineage is the 'Primordial Formless Primordial True Transformation True Technique' that was revered by Yujing Dao and other Xuanmen sects in ancient times. 'Returning Wind and Withered Snow Sword Qi' can also be said to have been deduced from this true technique. If we can fill in the gaps in the foundation, it is not impossible for our sect to produce an Earth Immortal."

"Therefore, the grand assembly three years from now, which will determine the entry and exit of the ancient underworld, is of great importance to our sect. I have already consulted with Senior Guardian of the Lake. Once the grand assembly begins, Bai Zhi, you will borrow Senior Xuan Ying's divine power to secure a qualification for our sect, paving a path to heaven for future disciples. I will also go to the East Sea to try my luck in the Heavenly Tribulation. If I am fortunate enough to succeed, it will greatly increase our sect's chances of winning."

Elder Gu's voice carried a hint of worry.

"However, what happened last time has left us with some concerns. Zuo Lengchan was able to bypass all the sect's restrictions, and even Senior Shouhu couldn't stop him. It's really worrying... Perhaps those fellow disciples who fell into demonic possession back then not only didn't perish, but are still secretly passing on their skills. If it comes to a critical moment, they might cause another uproar. Our sect's accumulated wealth over the years is at a crucial juncture, and we really can't afford to lose it."

(End of this chapter)