Longzang

Chapter 14: A New Understanding

The night was cool and still.

In a secluded courtyard, Daoist Fufeng sat quietly sipping tea. This was a superior celestial tea offered by the Crimson Tide Sect, but Fufeng drank it without tasting it; only a few names kept swirling in his mind. And now, a name that shouldn't have been in Fufeng's mind had entered his thoughts: Wei Yuan.

Thinking of Wei Yuan, Daoist Fufeng felt somewhat uneasy. He irritably put his teacup down on the table and prepared to take a walk in the courtyard. This small Crimson Tide Sect's courtyard was quite elegantly decorated.

The teacup had just been set down when Daoist Fufeng suddenly stiffened, then slowly stood up, forcing a smile, and said, "Junior Brother Zhang! If you need anything, just let me know, and I will come to visit you..."

Zhang Sheng stepped into the room, as if he hadn't heard Fufeng Daoist's greeting, and sat down on the chair next to him.

At this moment, Sun Yu also appeared at the door and said repeatedly, "Don't be impulsive! Everything can be discussed!"

Seeing Sun Yu's anxious expression, Fu Feng Daoist's heart skipped a beat. He then glanced at Zhang Sheng and was surprised: "Junior Brother's Dao power has recovered?"

Zhang Sheng said calmly, "Although I don't have much contact with my senior brother, he should know me. I'm here today only to know one thing: how was Yuan'er's score determined?"

Master Fufeng's expression changed several times, and he inwardly groaned; what he feared most had come to pass. Although he had cultivated for far longer than Zhang Sheng, sitting next to Zhang Sheng now was like sitting next to an unparalleled immortal sword, making the hairs on his body stand on end. He suddenly recalled Zhang Sheng's past deeds, and his heart skipped a beat.

Master Fufeng forced a smile and said, "Junior Brother, why are you suddenly concerned about this? This evaluation was fairly fair..."

He stopped mid-sentence. He glanced at Zhang Sheng of Ningding and Sun Yu standing to the side, his expression growing serious. "Junior brother," he asked, "do you really need to know?"

Zhang Sheng said calmly, "This is a contest of the Great Dao, and I will not back down in the slightest!"

Master Fufeng sighed and then recounted the evaluation process of the Daoist and Literary Tests in detail. He explained that his evaluation of Wei Yuan was slightly lower than the expected standard, in order to prevent Wei Yuan from entering the top three of the Taichu Palace.

After hearing this, Sun Yu stamped his foot and sighed, "The main problem is those two scholars! But Senior Brother Fufeng, you... sigh!"

After hearing this, Zhang Sheng finally said, "Thank you for telling me the truth, Senior Brother."

Zhang Sheng got up and went to his desk, spread out paper and pen, dipped his pen in ink, and said, "For the past six years, my Dao power has been sealed, which has allowed me to calmly observe the world. Although I have gained some insights from time to time, I am also grateful to the various sects and clans today for giving me this piece of writing."

Zhang Sheng picked up his brush and began to write. Just as the tip of the brush touched the paper, a sudden, ghastly white light appeared outside the window, and a bolt of lightning streaked across the night sky!
Zhang Sheng seemed oblivious, his brush moving swiftly, and in the blink of an eye, he had written a magnificent incantation. With each word he wrote, his face paled further, until it was as white as a sheet of paper. He had only written half of it when another thunderclap resounded, and a thick bolt of lightning struck down from the sky, directly hitting the Crimson Tide Sect's protective array. The entire Crimson Tide Sect trembled; the protective array was nearly shattered by this power of heaven and earth!

Zhang Sheng snorted, and a stream of blood flowed from his nose.

"Junior brother! Your injury..." Sun Yu was shocked and reached out to help. But halfway through, he withdrew his hand as if he had been electrocuted.

Zhang Sheng seemed not to hear, his pen continuing to write. After an unknown amount of time, he finally finished writing the last character with a single stroke.

A drop of blood fell, staining the paper with a blood flower, and tiny specks of starlight shimmered within the blood.

Seeing that Zhang Sheng made no attempt to conceal anything, both Sun Yu and Daoist Fufeng looked at the blood-stained martial arts manual on the paper. Sun Yu's eyes were immediately stung by the four large characters at the beginning.

A madman of heaven and earth!

The Taoist Fufeng, with his higher cultivation, continued reading. Every word and phrase struck his mind like a thunderbolt. After reading only a small portion, the Taoist Fufeng couldn't help but exclaim, "This is a secret technique of Qi Luck? But it's so overwhelming and domineering, who can use it?"

“Yuan’er is fine.”

Sun Yu said, "This... I'm afraid that won't work?"

Master Fufeng also said, "I have met Wei Yuan. He is indeed exceptionally talented, but he is probably still a little short of being able to wield such a secret technique of heaven and earth. Junior Brother's secret technique is unprecedented, but precisely because of this, if one's luck is slightly insufficient or one is not careful in its use, it will be a great disaster of death and annihilation!"

Zhang Sheng extended a finger, and a wisp of black energy slowly rose from its jade-like tip. The moment this black energy appeared, both Sun Yu and Daoist Fufeng's expressions changed drastically, as if they had witnessed their own imminent annihilation! This feeling was so real that even with their steadfast Daoist resolve, they instinctively trembled.

Zhang Sheng said, "It was this thing that sealed my Dao power for six years. With it, Yuan'er will be able to wield the <Crazy Man of Heaven and Earth>."

Looking at the wisp of black energy at Zhang Sheng's fingertip, Daoist Fufeng felt both envy and fear, saying, "What kind of fortune is this? How come I've never heard of it before?"

Sun Yu said, "This is a treasure of heaven and earth! If you use it yourself, Junior Brother, your cultivation will be incredibly fast for at least three years, and you will be able to achieve the Dharma Form as easily as taking something out of a bag! It would be such a waste to use it to give others the secret technique of controlling their destiny."

"It's just an external possession, what's there to regret?" Zhang Sheng picked up the martial arts manual and disappeared into the night in the blink of an eye.

Sun Yu felt a sudden emptiness at his waist; the waist token that allowed him free entry and exit was nowhere to be found. Fu Feng Daoist gazed thoughtfully at the direction Zhang Sheng's figure had disappeared outside the door, and said, "Junior Brother truly cares deeply for this disciple."

Sun Yu asked, "What are your plans for tomorrow, Senior Brother?"

Fu Feng Dao Ren smiled wryly and said, "I was a little hesitant at first, but now that I've read 'The Madman of Heaven and Earth,' I will do my best tomorrow."

Aren't you afraid of being blamed by those companies?

Fu Feng Daoist spread his hands and said, "At worst, I'll just have to return the immortal silver and treasures I collected, and lose all my wealth. It's just a small financial loss. But one of them is the one who wrote the 'Crazy Man of Heaven and Earth,' and the other is the one who can use the 'Crazy Man of Heaven and Earth.' My immortal path is still long. Do I even need to think about how to choose?" Sun Yu then sneered, "You people from the Heavenly Mystery Hall are indeed all smooth talkers, the best at sitting on the fence!"

Master Fufeng laughed heartily, showing no shame whatsoever, and said, "I call this following the will of Heaven! You bunch of feng shui idiots from Xuanming Palace can't understand this; we're on different paths, so we can't work together!"

Sun Yu had no way to deal with Fu Feng Dao Ren's shamelessness, so he could only say, "Then I'll leave it to you, Senior Brother, tomorrow."

Master Fufeng said, "Junior brother, don't worry! The martial arts test depends most on the evaluation and performance. Let's see what your senior brother can do tomorrow!"

However, after saying this, Daoist Fufeng suddenly remembered the story of the Madman of Heaven and Earth, and his expression changed. He said, "Perhaps... I won't be needed tomorrow."

Sun Yu, seemingly lost in thought, suddenly sighed and said, "What a pity!"

Master Fufeng felt the pain all over his body and said, "It is indeed a pity!"

Inside the dormitory, many candidates were still rushing to and fro, forming alliances and making their final efforts for tomorrow's martial arts test.

Wei Yuan, as always, kept his door tightly shut, focusing intently on studying the Southern Vermilion Bird Unknown Technique, occasionally getting up to circulate his energy. Although the technique stated that the Qi Luck Secret Technique should not be used excessively, Wei Yuan discovered that no matter how he used it, the invisible mass within his body—the Qi Luck mentioned in the technique—remained completely unaffected; it was exactly the same as before. He had no idea what the Southern Vermilion Bird Unknown Technique was extracting. The technique also specifically noted that it consumed a great deal of energy, and now Wei Yuan was even more confused about where the energy was being consumed.

Just as he was studying, Wei Yuan suddenly sensed something, turned around and saw Zhang Sheng appear in the room at some point.

He hurriedly bowed and asked, "Why have you come, teacher?"

Zhang Sheng had actually been looking at him for a while and said, "You have done a good job of cultivating the Southern Vermilion Bird Unknown Technique, but the situation has changed now, and you need to change this one."

Zhang Sheng handed the Heaven and Earth Madman to Wei Yuan, then a wisp of black energy floated from his fingertips as he said, "This extraterrestrial fortune sealed my Dao power for six years. It is extremely powerful and domineering, making it perfect for unlocking the Heaven and Earth Madman. I am giving it to you now. You will experience various pains such as your divine sense being torn apart, your body being burned by flames, and your mind being disturbed by heavenly demons. You must endure them."

Wei Yuan nodded and said, "This disciple is not afraid of pain."

Zhang Sheng knew Wei Yuan's personality, so he pointed a finger at Wei Yuan's brow and sent the wisp of energy there.

Wei Yuan felt a chill enter his brain, then spread throughout his limbs and bones, like a drop of water falling into the ocean and disappearing.

Under Zhang Sheng's concerned gaze, Wei Yuan just stood there, and nothing happened.

"Is there any tearing of the divine consciousness?"

"Is there karmic fire burning in your heart?"

"Is there any confusion arising in your mind? Is the demon dancing in the heavens?"

Zhang Sheng asked Wei Yuan several times, but Wei Yuan shook his head each time.

Zhang Sheng had considered countless possible scenarios and was even prepared to protect Wei Yuan's primordial spirit at all costs in a crisis, but he never expected that nothing would happen.

But in any case, it's always a good thing that nothing happened. Although Zhang Sheng had doubts in his heart, he put them aside for the time being and explained the Heaven and Earth Madman to Wei Yuan.

This secret technique of luck incorporates Zhang Sheng's observations and feelings during his six years of living as a mortal, and is inspired by the various injustices he encountered. It fuses the ruthlessness of heaven and earth with wildness and violence into one, requiring a very high level of luck and easily affecting the temperament and mind of the practitioner.

Zhang Sheng explained it to Wei Yuan in detail until he fully understood it.

Wei Yuan was exceptionally intelligent from a young age. Hearing Zhang Sheng say the situation had changed, but without specifying what, he didn't ask. It wasn't until Zhang Sheng finished teaching the Heaven and Earth Madman that Wei Yuan finally asked, "What am I supposed to do for the martial arts test tomorrow?"

Zhang Sheng stood with his hands behind his back and said, "Put them to pieces for your master!"

Who are they?

"Everyone!"

When Zhang Sheng left the dormitory, his face was ashen, and a faint smell of blood began to emanate from his nostrils. He had already been injured from breaking through his cultivation barrier prematurely, and the creation of his Heavenly Madman technique had further aggravated his injuries by triggering celestial secrets; he was now barely able to hold on. After instructing Wei Yuan, Zhang Sheng immediately returned to his room to meditate. The next morning, the master and disciple would each face a major battle.

At dawn, the sacred mountain became bright again, and several cranes, each ten feet long, circled the distant sacred peaks. The group of examinees had already left their quarters and were being urged by the Taoist priest to head to the examination hall.

Hundreds of prayer cushions had already been set up inside the main hall, and a large snake was coiled around each of the four corner pillars, its glassy eyes lazily watching the examinees entering the hall.

As before, all the candidates saw their numbers and took their seats.

The elderly Taoist priest stood at the head of the table, struck the small bronze bell beside him forcefully, and then announced in a long voice, "Martial Arts Test, begin!"

(End of this chapter)