I picked up skill fragments in the demon world.

Chapter 1057 The Taste of Death

Zhang Chen chatted with the young Han king for a long time, until dawn, before leaving amidst the young Han king's reluctant gaze.

With Zhang Chen's reappearance, the world, which had been silent for a hundred years, was once again in an uproar. A full century had passed since Zhang Chen last appeared, and several generations of his descendants had come and gone, while Zhang Chen had become a legendary figure.

The reappearance of the legendary figure immediately stirred up memories among various forces, especially those related to Zhang Chen, such as Huang Tiandao. Their morale soared to a peak, and Huang Tiandao's forces began to arrange for various troops to continuously send supplies to Zhang Chen. At the same time, all the major vassal forces under Huang Tiandao's jurisdiction flocked to Qingcheng Mountain.

Spies from various royal families also secretly headed towards Qingcheng Mountain, hoping to gather information about Zhang Chen, a figure from mythology.

Zhang Chen made no attempt to conceal his whereabouts on this trip, and it was observed that he frequently sat at the bow of the boat, receiving the homage of various feudal lords along the way.

This was Zhang Chen's last journey across the land, and of course he wanted to leave something for his descendants. His appearance this time was enough to awe the world for another hundred years, or even longer.

The large ship sailed onward, accompanied by the homage of various feudal lords along the way. Upon seeing Zhang Chen's youthful appearance, they were immediately shocked.

As for doubting the authenticity of Zhang Chen?

The times are not interrupted now, so who dares to question the authenticity of Zhang Chen?

The large ship sailed majestically towards Mount Qingcheng.

On Mount Qingcheng
Since Zhang Chen's last parting, the Wu family has firmly controlled Qingcheng Mountain. To this day, three generations of family heads have passed through the family. The current head of the Wu family is about forty years old. He is wearing an ancient Taoist robe and leads tens of thousands of followers of the Huangtiandao sect, standing respectfully in front of the dock waiting.

"Reporting to the Master, according to the scouts ahead, the Great Teacher is still an hour away from here," a scout from Huang Tiandao reported on horseback.

Upon hearing this, Wu Gou nodded, signaling the guard to step back. His eyes were fixed on the surging water, filled with anticipation.

"Master, I've heard that this Great Teacher of Wisdom is a figure from the mythical era, the last transcendent being of the Dharma-ending Age?" A trusted confidant asked from the side, his words filled with curiosity.

“Of course, this great wise teacher was a peerless master in the world during the extraordinary era. Even in the end times, his powerful supernatural abilities could not be extinguished. Our sect has already compiled and recorded his legend in books. Why don’t you read the books properly and instead ask me?” Wu Gou scolded.

"It's not that I haven't studied properly, but I simply can't believe that such a powerful force exists in the world," the subordinate said, his voice filled with emotion.

The mythological era is now several generations removed from our lives, and for the younger generation, it has long since become a legend.

"I've also heard about that Great Teacher, but I wonder how he is doing now that so many years have passed, and whether he has been affected by the Great Calamity of the End of Dharma," an elder asked with a face full of curiosity.

Upon hearing this, Wu Gou glanced at the elder, a strange look in his eyes, and said in a sarcastic tone, "Once the Great Teacher of Virtue arrives, you can ask him yourself. You should know that I have never met the Great Teacher of Virtue since I was born. All the information I have about the Great Teacher of Virtue is passed down from elder to elder."

The elder glanced at Wu Gou, but dared not ask any more questions. He simply stood silently on the dock, a scrutinizing look in his eyes.

At this moment, spies from various powerful forces were also standing in the crowd, secretly watching and waiting for Zhang Chen's arrival.

Suddenly, a large ship appeared on the water in the distance. A scout recognized the ship and shouted, "The ship of the Great Teacher has arrived!"

These words seemed to possess a unique magic. As soon as they fell silent, the entire crowd fell into a deathly stillness. Everyone's eyes were fixed on the direction of the large ship, gazing at the banner bearing the name of the Great Teacher of Virtue. A look of excitement appeared in everyone's eyes.

As soon as the large ship docked, Wu Gou hurriedly stepped forward and knelt down: "Wu Gou, the leader of Huangtiandao, leads his troops to respectfully welcome the Great and Virtuous Master."

Zhang Chen, standing on the bow of the ship, watched as the group of people suddenly knelt down. The next moment, he transformed into a huge fireball in the air. The fireball streaked across the void, carrying scorching power, and landed directly on the ground under the watchful eyes of the crowd on the shore, revealing Zhang Chen's presence.

"Wu Gou? Who is Wu Changming to you?" Zhang Chen asked.

"Reporting to the Great Master, it was my great-grandfather," Wu Gou said respectfully.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Chen asked with a surprised expression, "Is Wu Yang still alive?"

Wu Yang is Wu Changming's son and the next headmaster after Wu Changming.

“He passed away fifty years ago,” Wu Gou replied.

Zhang Chen remained silent upon hearing this, then waved his hand somewhat listlessly: "Let's go, let's go to Qingcheng Mountain."

"The carriage is ready. Please follow me," Wu Gou said respectfully. Zhang Chen followed Wu Gou to a carriage drawn by nine horses. The carriage was magnificent, like a palace, standing in the middle of the road.

Zhang Chen flashed and transformed into mist, disappearing into the carriage. The onlookers, the rulers of Huangtiandao, were stunned, their eyes filled with awe.

Wu Gou dismissed the coachman and personally drove the carriage for Zhang Chen. The carriage then arrived at Qingcheng Mountain. Wu Gou welcomed Zhang Chen into the thatched hut behind the mountain and ordered the servants to serve wine and dishes before respectfully attending to him.

“The abdication ceremony will be held a month from now. You will send out invitations to all the major powers in the world to witness it. I will then use my supernatural powers to intimidate them.” Zhang Chen said, with a hint of regret in his voice, “It’s a pity that no clowns will step forward to slap me in the face. Otherwise, I could have taken the opportunity to establish my authority and let the world know Huang Tiandao’s methods.”

None of the major warlords in the world are fools, and no one dares to challenge Zhang Chen's authority. It's just that the extraordinary era is too close to the present, and there has never been a historical break. Naturally, the major powers know the importance of this.

Wu Gou smiled wryly and flattered, "Who doesn't know your esteemed reputation? Who would dare to provoke such a tiger?"

Zhang Chen nodded, and after a quick meal, he went into seclusion on the back mountain, while Wu Gou began to prepare for the abdication ceremony.

Time flies, and a month has passed in the blink of an eye. Huang Tiandao has gathered all the lords from all over the country. Those who can come in person do so, and those who cannot come in person send spies to observe in secret.

On the day of the abdication ceremony
The sky was cloudless, and hundreds of thousands of guests gathered below the platform. At Wu Gou's invitation, Zhang Chen ascended the platform. The countless Huangtiandao followers and various forces from all over the world looked at the young face on the platform with disbelief in their eyes: Too young!

This was the only thought that arose in the minds of all the feudal lords at this moment.

They're unbelievably young.

"So young, is he really a great and wise teacher?"

"The Great Teacher possesses extraordinary power and the ability to live forever. What's so strange about him looking young? I once heard that cultivators from mysterious eras could all achieve immortality and incorruptible bodies." A wise man stood by and explained on Zhang Chen's behalf.

"He looks like an ordinary person, how could he have such overwhelming power, capable of plucking stars and the moon?" A prince's eyes showed a look of incomprehension.

"How could we mere mortals possibly fathom such mysterious power?" one of the powerful figures muttered.

Just as everyone was discussing this, Wu Gou shouted at the top of his lungs, "We, the followers of Huangtiandao, kowtow to the Great Virtuous Teacher and respectfully welcome the arrival of the Great Virtuous Teacher."

As soon as these words were spoken, hundreds of thousands of Huangtiandao followers, whether they heard Wu Gou's words or not, all knelt on the ground in unison, like waves of wheat.

Seeing this, Zhang Chen's eyes showed a hint of emotion. He glanced at the Huang Tiandao followers below, and the Five Elements Laws circulated around him: "Get up, all of you."

Although Zhang Chen's Five Elements Laws could only cover a meter around his body, by mobilizing the resonance of the laws, his voice could spread out like a loudspeaker, reaching a radius of hundreds of miles.

The crowd listened to the clear voice, as if Zhang Chen was quietly speaking in their ears. They were all discerning people, and they were completely stunned by Zhang Chen's move. A look of awe appeared in their eyes, and they bowed respectfully to Zhang Chen again and again before standing up.

"I have led the Yellow Heaven Path for hundreds of years, and now I wish to go into seclusion for cultivation. I do not know when I will emerge from seclusion again. If there are major events within the Yellow Heaven Path, it is very inconvenient without a leader. Therefore, I have decided today to pass on the position of Great Teacher of the Yellow Heaven Path. The candidate has been chosen, and it is the current leader of the Yellow Heaven Path: Wu Gou. All of you elders and disciples of the Yellow Heaven Path, if anyone has any objections, please raise them." Zhang Chen swept his expressionless gaze over the followers below, his clear voice sending shivers down their spines.

In recent years, Zhang Chen has been comprehending the electromagnetic force between heaven and earth. What he is doing now is just an application of the magnetic force between heaven and earth, which is completely insignificant.

Looking at Zhang Chen above, who dared to voice any objections?

They all knelt down and kowtowed to Zhang Chen, saying, "We are willing to follow the teachings of the Great Teacher of Virtue."

"Since you have chosen to obey my decree, you must obey it wholeheartedly from now on. If you go against the will of my true self, the Yellow Heaven Dao, you will be like that mountain!" A flash of lightning appeared in Zhang Chen's sleeve, and then a chain of lightning shot out. A hundred-zhang-high mountain in the distance was directly flattened by the lightning and turned into nothingness and disappeared into the world.

When everyone saw Zhang Chen flatten a mountain with a flick of his finger, they were all horrified, their eyes filled with horror.

Zhang Chen had not appeared in the world for a hundred years, so naturally everyone had their own thoughts. Some suspected that Zhang Chen was caught in a great calamity and was shrouded in trouble, while others suspected that Zhang Chen's strength had declined, which was why he had not shown himself to the world. But at this moment, a bolt of lightning from Zhang Chen directly woke everyone present up, and all their doubts were dispelled.

"The succession ceremony shall now begin." Zhang Chen said to Wu Gou, who was standing to the side, "Come forward."

Upon hearing this, Wu Gou's eyes lit up with excitement. He quickly went to Zhang Chen's side and knelt down respectfully.

(End of this chapter)