Pure Yang!

Chapter 408 Returning to Familiar Places! The Closed-Door Disciple Appears

Jiangbei Province, Zhenwu Mountain.

More than a year later, revisiting this place brought back a unique feeling.

Sitting on the sightseeing bus, winding along the long and winding mountain road, Zhang Fan looked out the window, watching the lush green trees on both sides flash by, and couldn't help but feel a surge of emotions.

The last time he came, Li Yishan was sitting next to him.

At that time, he had just graduated from university and had not yet escaped the calamity of the darkest nights. He was just an ordinary person who knew nothing about cultivation.

Now, in just over a year, his life has undergone tremendous changes.

You seem to have a lot of feelings about this.

Li Miaoyin sat next to Zhang Fan, looking at his unfocused eyes, and couldn't help but say something.

"When I came here last time, it was still dark, on Zhenwu Mountain, when I started to wake up," Zhang Fan sighed.

Life is but a fleeting hundred years. Even if we yearn for immortality, we are no more than mayflies, born in the morning and dying in the evening, gone in the blink of an eye. To have such a wonderful and extraordinary opportunity is truly mysterious and extraordinary.

“Zhenwu Mountain is a blessed land of Taoism, a wondrous place of mystery. Even Lu Zu once came here to cultivate and comprehend the Tao.” Li Miaoyin murmured softly as she looked at the scenery outside the window.

"Even ordinary people who come here, if they are sincere, will surely be destined to meet."

"You're right." Zhang Fan nodded.

"Sincerity can lead to foresight."

There is no inherent difficulty or ease in any matter under heaven; the key lies in the word "sincerity."

What sincerity?

Extreme dedication and refinement, as if divinely inspired, is true sincerity.

Sincerity is when no thought arises and actions are done without intention.

When one's heart is truly sincere, and no thought arises, when one is without desire or ambition, one is considered divine.

At that time, worshipping gods was tantamount to worshipping oneself.

Everything one stands upon is a temple or shrine; wherever one's heart is, the divine will is vast; whatever one desires, all things can be accomplished.

Unfortunately, people do not understand this principle. The tall candles and incense they hold, and the golden statues they cast, do not demonstrate their sincerity, but rather their desires.

With such a reversal of priorities, how can one claim divine power and have one's wishes fulfilled?
“Doing nothing, acting without intention… that is the way of utmost sincerity, the true meaning of Taoism…” Zhang Fan murmured softly.

"Cough cough..."

Before he could finish speaking, Ge Shuangxiu, sitting in the front row, coughed lightly, thus silencing Zhang Fan.

"Could you keep your voice down? This is Zhenwu Mountain," Ge Shuangxiu said, turning his head away.

He glanced around unconsciously. It was the off-season for tourism, and most of the people on Zhenwu Mountain these past two days were cultivators who came to observe the ceremony. There might be some on this bus.

"Just a fleeting thought," Zhang Fan said with an awkward smile.

"The Purple Cloud Palace is just ahead."

Not far away, a magnificent and ancient palace came into view. It was in the Zixiao Palace that Zhang Fan met Jiang Lai.

"Zhang Fan..."

As soon as he got off the car, a shout came from afar. Zhang Fan looked closely and saw a familiar face.

"Master who has broken the precepts!" Zhang Fan was overjoyed.

Back when he was on Zhenwu Mountain, he received a lot of care from the Daoist Master Pojie.

"I've been busy these past few days, otherwise I would have come down the mountain to pick you up yesterday," Master Pojie greeted him.

As soon as he got off the plane yesterday, Zhang Fan sent a text message to Daoist Pojie.

"You're too kind. I know there have been a lot of people on the mountain these past few days, you must be swamped." Zhang Fan chuckled. "Once I'm done with this, I'll invite you to have your feet washed, Daoist."

"Cough cough..." Master Pojie's throat felt a little uncomfortable.

"These two are my friends," Zhang Fan said with a knowing smile, introducing them.

"Ge Shuangxiu!"

"Li Miaoyin!"

"Greetings, Daoist Master." The two bowed and paid their respects.

Master Pojie returned the greeting, his gaze sweeping over Ge Shuangxiu, but lingering slightly on Li Miaoyin, his expression somewhat strange.

"Let's go, I'll welcome you in. You'll all be keeping vigil in Zixiao Palace tonight until the grand ceremony begins tomorrow," said Daoist Pojie, leading the way.

"Where is Master Chu?" Zhang Fan couldn't help but ask.

"Master, all the Celestial Masters are at the Golden Summit," Master Pojie said solemnly.

These past two days, only Celestial Masters have been able to stay atop the Golden Summit of Zhenwu Mountain. Anyone below the Celestial Master level is not qualified to go up there.

"Master Breaking the Rules, tomorrow is the disciple-acceptance ceremony, why are you repairing the temple at this time?"

Even outside Zixiao Palace, Zhang Fan could see from afar that the back half of the palace had been sealed off and sheds had been erected.

"Don't even mention it," Master Pojie said, shaking his head.

"What? Is there some hidden story?" Zhang Fan couldn't help but ask, looking at the expression on Daoist Pojie's face.

Master Pojie hesitated, then looked around before lowering his voice and saying, "What are you talking about? I'm telling you this, so don't go around spreading rumors."

"Don't worry, I'm very tight-lipped," Zhang Fan nodded.

"Yesterday, a fight broke out at Zixiao Palace, damaging the temple, which is why..."

"What?! The Zhenwu Mountain Grand Ceremony? People dare to fight here and even damage the temples?" Zhang Fan couldn't help but exclaim.

This is like visiting someone's home, especially the home of royalty, and then starting a fight at their banquet, overturning tables, and smashing things. It's not just impolite; it's downright humiliating to the host.

"This is so rude!" Zhang Fan said in a deep voice.

“Who says otherwise? Who would get off the plane, barely sit down, and start fighting with the guests? What do you think of that kind of person…” Master Pojie hesitated, then stopped.

Ge Shuangxiu and Li Miaoyin both looked at Zhang Fan simultaneously.

"Why are you all looking at me like that?" Zhang Fan rolled his eyes, then asked, "Which disciple is so disrespectful? Shouldn't the elders of the sect deal with this to death?"

Such a rude and thoughtless thing could only be done by a hot-blooded young person in a moment of impulse.

But then again, if young people aren't spirited, what kind of youth is that?
“Not a junior…” Master Pojie shook his head.

He paused slightly, looked around to make sure no one was watching, and then said in a low voice, "It's Master Ye."

"Ye Beichen? Ye Beichen from Zhongnan Mountain? Master Ye?" Zhang Fan's eyes widened as he blurted out.

"Shh, keep your voice down."

The Taoist priest who broke the precepts quickly held Zhang Fan down.

"No... he's a Celestial Master, how could he be so impulsive? Even we young people wouldn't do something like that," Zhang Fan couldn't help but say.

Ge Shuangxiu remained silent.

Li Miaoyin looked at him without saying a word.

"What exactly happened? What made Master Ye so angry?" Zhang Fan asked curiously.

He believed in the Celestial Master's cultivation of inner strength, his mind free from distractions, his self-forgetfulness; how could he possibly become so easily enraged? Something outrageous and intolerable must have happened.

"Nothing really happened, it was just... the two of them had just met and hadn't even exchanged two words when they started fighting," Master Pojie said helplessly.

"Two people? Which one fought with Master Ye?" Zhang Fan grasped the key to the question.

The one who could ignite Ye Beichen's fury and fight him must be no ordinary person. "Master Cui of Qingcheng Mountain!" Daoist Pojie said solemnly.

Qingcheng Mountain, Cui Hanyi!
"I've heard that this person is incredibly talented, no less so than Master Ye or Master Liu, but he's aloof and doesn't like interacting with outsiders," Ge Shuangxiu said in a low voice.

Clearly, he had heard of the famous Master Cui.

“Master Cui’s cultivation has reached a transcendent level. It is said that his move, the ‘Invincible Immortal Transformation Hand,’ has captured the essence of the Qingcheng Mountain Patriarch and surpasses all previous masters. Does he still have a grudge against Master Ye?” Li Miaoyin couldn’t help but ask.

As a girl, she was more curious about the grudges and entanglements involved than Zhang Fan.

"It seems to be because of the dragon!?" Master Pojie said with a strange expression.

He was there at the time and vaguely heard the two celestial masters talking about dragons. Before long, they started fighting and almost demolished the Zixiao Palace.

In the end, it was Liu Nanxu who stepped in to break up the fight and separated Ye Beichen and Cui Hanyi.

"Dragon? What kind of dragon? A flood dragon? An earth dragon?" Ge Shuangxiu couldn't help but ask.

"I don't know about that. Who would dare to speak carelessly about matters between Celestial Masters?" Master Pojie shook his head.
"However, I heard from the elders in the sect that the two Celestial Masters had a feud that began when they were young."

"What grudge could you hold onto for a lifetime? You're already a Celestial Master, why are you still so hung up on it?" Li Miaoyin became even more curious.

"Well, let's go inside first."

Just then, Zhang Fan quickened his pace and entered Zixiao Palace first.

"Zhang Fan, wait a minute." Master Pojie caught up with them.

As soon as Zhang Fan entered Zixiao Palace, he looked up and saw a young man walking towards him. The man was tall and straight, with a noble air. His eyes were dark, as if they held starlight, and he wore a jade-green ring on the pinky finger of his right hand.

The young man looked to be about the same age as Zhang Fan, but he exuded a sense of composure in his every move. Most importantly, he was accompanied by two high-ranking Taoist priests.

"Master Pojie." The young man approached, saw Pojie, and bowed in greeting.

"Junior Brother Gu," Master Pojie returned the greeting.

"Master Pojie has guests, so I'll head to the Golden Summit first."

As he spoke, the young man strode away. As he left, Zhang Fan clearly felt the other man's gaze linger on him for a moment.

"it's him."

Just then, Ge Shuangxiu leaned over and whispered something in Zhang Fan's ear.

"This is the person who severely injured me with lightning magic in Chang'an."

Ge Shuangxiu would never forget this person's aura. He was also certain that just now, that person had recognized him as well, but the other party acted as if nothing had happened, remaining silent and not even glancing at him.

"Master Breaking the Rules? Who is that person? How could he go straight to the Golden Summit?" Zhang Fan asked in a deep voice.

"His name is Gu Yinxia. He is a member of the Dao Alliance and a disciple of the Jiang General Association," said Daoist Pojie in a solemn voice.

"Jiang Wansui's disciple?" Zhang Fan pondered, looking in the direction Gu Yinxia had gone.

“This person is exceptionally talented. Even our master values ​​him highly and has summoned him for a private audience these past two days to preach the Dharma to him,” said Master Pojie in a deep voice.

"So much so that now there's a rumor on the mountain that this is the person Master will take as his last disciple."

"Gu Yinxia!?"

Chu Chaoran, having comprehended the realm of pure Yang and limitless, naturally has no sectarian prejudices. If my Dao flourishes and the Yellow Court scriptures are recited, I will open the door of convenience and widely spread the teachings.

For this reason, there are many voices from the outside world now regarding the closed-door disciples of the Transcendental Master, such as An Wuyang from Zhongnan Mountain, Gu Yinxia from the Dao Alliance, and even Ge Chang'an from the Ge family, who have a lot of support.

"Master Broken Precepts, which disciple is Master Chu going to take as his last disciple?" Zhang Fan asked.

Now that things have come to this, he's just too curious to resist.

"We'll know tomorrow," Master Pojie sighed.

"Tomorrow, everyone will know."

……

Evening, inside the Zhenwu Hall.

On the altar, the True Martial Emperor stood solemnly, while candlelight flickered and incense smoke wafted below.

Chu Chaoran stood before the altar, with Liu Nanxu, the youngest Celestial Master of Zhenwu Mountain, to his left, and an old man to his right, who looked even younger than Chu Chaoran, with white hair and a youthful face, dressed in a purple Taoist robe.

"Dongyang, have the leaders of all the major sects been settled?" Chu Chaoran asked the old man on his right in a deep voice.

This old man is Xi Dongyang, one of the three great celestial masters of Zhenwu Mountain.

"Master, everything is settled," Xi Dongyang nodded.

In comparison, although Liu Nanxu has already attained the position of Celestial Master, his qualifications are still too shallow.

Just like the conflict at Zixiao Palace yesterday, if the experienced Xi Dongyang were there, Ye Beichen and Cui Hanyi would never have fought.

“I deliberately placed Zhongnan Mountain and Qingcheng Mountain at the southernmost and northernmost points, respectively.”

"Haha, those two little guys are quite interesting." Chu Chaoran couldn't help but laugh. "Nanxu, you should have called me when you started fighting yesterday."

“Teacher, I can handle this.” Liu Nanxu said respectfully.

"I mean, take a picture of it and sell it..."

"Ahem, teacher!" Liu Nanxu coughed twice, subconsciously interrupting Chu Chaoran's words.

At this moment, Daoist Pojie, Xia Weisheng, and their disciples stood silently below the main hall, heads bowed.

"Just kidding...just kidding..."

"Headmaster!"

Just then, a heavy voice came from outside the main hall. Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw an old man with a sage-like appearance walk in. His head was full of white hair mixed with a few black strands, as if he had been rejuvenated. His eyes seemed to hold the majesty of endless thunder.

Zhao Wuji was one of the three great celestial masters of Zhenwu Mountain.

At the same time, he is also the most senior among the three Celestial Masters, and even Xi Dongyang and Chu Chaoran have to call him senior brother.

"Senior brother," Chu Chaoran whispered.

Zhao Wuji joined the sect earlier than Chu Chaoran. Eighty years ago, during the great calamity of the Daoist sect, Chu Chaoran and his disciples followed their sect to Longhu Mountain, and almost all of them perished.

At that time, Zhao Wuji stayed in Zhenwu Mountain, which is why he escaped the calamity.

Since Chu Chaoran took over as the head of Zhenwu Mountain, this old celestial master has rarely appeared in public, spending most of his time in seclusion. He only came out of seclusion once, at the last Zhenwu Jade Tablet Transmission Ceremony.

"I've met my uncle!"

"Greetings, Grandmaster Uncle!"

Inside the main hall, all the disciples bowed in unison.

Zhao Wuji's gaze was fixed on Chu Chaoran. He strode to the altar.

"Senior brother, you've arrived," Chu Chaoran said with a light laugh.

“Tomorrow is your big day, of course I have to come. You are the last disciple, it concerns the lineage of the sect…” Zhao Wuji said solemnly.

"Sect Leader, isn't it time to let us see your last disciple?"

Upon hearing this, everyone looked at Chu Chaoran with curiosity. There were many voices and a lot of controversy surrounding this so-called closed-door disciple.

However, even those within Zhenwu Mountain still don't know the true identity of this closed-door disciple.

Chu Chaoran paused for a moment, then looked outside the main hall.

"Miaoyin, come in!!!"

(End of this chapter)