The great demon attacked and then suddenly disappeared, like a boulder sinking into a lake, stirring up countless waves in the Celestial Masters' Mansion.
The disciples whispered amongst themselves, some saying that the great demon had changed his mind at the last minute and was frightened away by the protective formation of the Celestial Masters' Mansion.
Some say it may have encountered other powerful enemies on the way and been intercepted and killed.
Some people said that they seemed to see a flash of golden light in the distance, so fast that it seemed like an illusion.
Opinions varied, and no one could convince anyone else, but the shadow of death that had been looming over them had indeed dissipated.
That evening, Zhou Xuanzhen and several other immortals dismissed their attendants and held a private meeting behind closed doors.
"The great demon would never retreat on its own." Zhou Xuanzhen cut to the chase, his voice soft yet resolute. "You all know the ferocity of the Blood Pagoda Demon Ancestor. Since it vowed to destroy my Celestial Masters' Mansion, it would never back down halfway. The only reason it didn't come back is that it couldn't."
Zhang Shouyi stroked his beard and nodded slowly. "The Lord of the Manor means that someone killed it."
"Indeed." Zhou Xuanzhen raised his eyes and swept them over everyone present. "And that person couldn't possibly be any of us here. No disciple on Longhu Mountain could withstand a single blow from it. Therefore, the one who made the move could only be that senior who has been hiding in our mountain all along."
Silence fell over the hall. Over the years, the golden light of the Ancestral Hall, the strange movements of the Thunder Altar, the aura of the Celestial Master, and today's bizarre rescue all pointed to the same person.
Zhao Qingxuan hesitated and said, "I had suspected before that this senior might be a reclusive senior uncle of my Celestial Masters' Mansion, but after searching through all the old records, I really can't think of anyone in my generation who has such extraordinary abilities."
"It might not necessarily be a person," Sun Xuanzhao a muffled voice. "There are many wondrous places in the mountains, such as the Patriarch Hall, the Thunder Altar, and the Celestial Master Cliff. These have been passed down for thousands of years. It's hard to guarantee that no Celestial Master of any generation left behind any secrets. Perhaps the spirits of our ancestors couldn't stand it anymore and manifested their divine power."
Zhou Xuanzhen did not refute, because even he himself could not explain it.
All he knew was that the Celestial Master’s Mansion of Mount Longhu survived this calamity not because of them, but because of a figure who had always remained in the shadows and never shown himself.
Who that person was is no longer important. What matters is that the Celestial Masters' Mansion is still alive.
The next morning, the head of the manor ascended the throne and summoned all the disciples of the manor.
Sunlight streamed in from outside the hall, falling warmly on everyone.
Zhou Xuanzhen stood at the head of the table, his expression no longer as haggard as it had been a few days ago.
He looked around and said loudly, "The other day, when the great demon attacked, everyone in my Celestial Masters' Mansion was of one mind and no one retreated, which shows our integrity. Today, I have something to tell you: the Blood Pagoda Demon Ancestor has been killed by a reclusive senior of my Celestial Master’s Mansion of Mount Longhu. The calamity of the Celestial Masters' Mansion has been resolved."
Upon hearing this, the entire hall fell silent for a moment, then erupted in deafening cheers.
Some people jumped up in excitement, some hugged their fellow disciples tightly, and some knelt down on the spot and kowtowed several times towards the direction of the Patriarch Hall.
The dark cloud that had been hanging over everyone's hearts for days has finally dissipated.
Chen Du stood at the very end of the line, laughing along with several old handymen, his face crinkling with smiles.
His smile was barely perceptible; his gaze swept past the jubilant crowd in the hall and looked towards the distant sky. The mountains were high, the clouds were light, and the sun shone brightly in the clear breeze.
Longhu Mountain is finally at peace today.
In the days that followed, Chen Du continued as before. He swept the temple during the day and cultivated himself at night.
While everyone in the Celestial Masters' Mansion was still basking in the afterglow of the averting calamity, he had already turned his attention back to the places in Longhu Mountain that he had not yet set foot in.
That night, he went to the "Demon-Slaying Platform" on the southern slope of Longhu Mountain.
Legend has it that this place was where the first Celestial Master erected an altar to suppress evil after slaying a powerful demon. A thousand years have passed, and the altar has crumbled, leaving only a few broken steles and dark red rubble scattered all over the ground.
Chen Du sat down in Taichung and activated [Become a God on the Spot].
In an instant, Heaven Slayer intent surged from the depths of the ground, like the simultaneous clang of thousands of swords, almost shaking his mind.
He composed himself and then activated [The World as a Book].
The countless killing intents and residual Dao Resonance converged into a scripture called the "Divine Firmament Demon-Slaying and Monster-Breaking True Scripture".
This scripture is primarily for killing and warfare, possessing immense power. It is a powerful offensive technique created specifically for slaying demons and eliminating evil.
Chen Du only read a few pages before realizing that this technique was more violent than the Ninefold Annihilation True Thunder and more ferocious than the Dragon-Tiger Sword Dao. It was definitely the Peak Stage of the Celestial Masters' Mansion's killing techniques.
He carefully put the scriptures away and quietly returned to his room.
Time flies, and another ten years have passed.
For the past ten years, Chen Du has continued to quietly search every inch of the Celestial Masters' Mansion's Mansion.
We also obtained several important secret manuals and elixir formulas.
First, let's talk about the secret manual. He obtained the "Taiyi Crouching Dragon True Form Diagram" at the bottom of the "Crouching Dragon Pool" in the back mountain of the Celestial Masters' Mansion. It allows him to visualize the true form of a divine dragon within his body and temper his physical body with the dragon's might. When he cultivates it to the extreme, he has the power of a dragon and an elephant between his fists and palms.
In the "Profound Writing Cave", he obtained the "Supreme Clarity Profound Writing Soul-Washing True Scripture". This book does not involve killing or fighting, but it can cleanse the soul until it is completely pure and has a miraculous effect on stabilizing and improving Divine Status.
At the deepest part of the "Nine-Bend Corridor", he obtained the "Nine-Bend Cavern Yin Sword Dao Compendium Method", which is an extremely ancient sword method of Longhu Mountain. Legend has it that the first Celestial Master used this sword method to break through the nine heavenly gates.
As for the elixir formula, he obtained the "Dragon-Tiger Return-to-Truth Elixir Formula" at the foot of "Elder Lord Crag". This elixir can greatly replenish vital energy and is the best auxiliary medicine for cultivating Divine Status.
In the ruins of the "Heavenly Lantern Tower", he obtained the "Nine-Refinement Soul-Restoring Elixir Formula", which can repair hidden injuries to the soul.
At the bottom of the "Heart-Cleansing Pool", he obtained the "Supreme Mystery Heart-Cleansing Elixir Formula" (Formula for the Supreme Mysterious Heart Cleansing Elixir). When taken in combination with the Supreme Clarity Profound Writing Soul-Washing True Scripture), it could enhance his Dao heart and accelerate his advancement in Divine Status.
Over the past decade, Chen Du has no longer focused solely on "collecting" as he did in the past.
His main focus was on the book "The Celestial Master Status: Nine Realms Returning to Truth".
The most crucial step from the Eighth Realm to the Ninth Realm is to transform the Heavenly Master Position Rank from "borrowed" to "real".
Following the instructions in the book, Chen Du used the Orthodox Unity Clear Source Celestial Master Position in the Heavenly Master Divine Seal as the foundation of his visualization, the incense Dao Resonance of Longhu Mountain as nourishment, and the [Cangming Abyss] and [Lingwu] Divine Status as aids to gradually refine his Celestial Heavenly Master Position Rank.
Over the past ten years, his cultivation level has advanced to between the Late Stage and Peak Stages of the Heavenly Master Realm.
The Heavenly Master Position Rank is also more solid than when he first received the divine seal, and there are even faint signs of "transforming from emptiness to reality".
But the further you go, the more you can feel the difficulty of the Ninth Realm.
The door was right in front of us; we could even see the light peeking through the crack, but it was still a hair's breadth away from actually opening it.
Chen Du wasn't in a hurry; he could afford to waste time in this world.
As long as the direction is right, it will eventually be pushed forward.
For the past decade, the outside world has remained in complete chaos.
The demonic path flourished, and evil spirits abounded. Every now and then, a small sect would be wiped out, or a city would be occupied by some demon.
Although the Celestial Master’s Mansion of Mount Longhu was no longer underestimated due to the calamity ten years ago, no one dared to be the first to stand out in this chaotic world.
The incense at the foot of the mountain is quiet and the days in the mountains are peaceful.
Chen Du dared not relax for a moment. The Blue Star people were still in danger of extinction, and the Kema People's starships were like a knife hanging over his heart at all times.