Qingfeng Temple, Renowned Throughout the Ling Dynasty
Three years have passed in the blink of an eye, and Qingfeng Temple, hidden among the mountains of the Eastern Wasteland, has completely overturned people's understanding of the world.
Decades ago, this was just a little-known mountain Daoist temple, with green tiles and bamboo fences, quiet and serene. Apart from local villagers occasionally coming up the mountain to burn incense, almost no monks were willing to stay here.
However, ever since Chen Du took charge of Qingfeng Temple, this inconspicuous little Daoist temple has gradually become the most unapproachable and most coveted sacred place in the entire Ling Dynasty's Martial Dao world.
Initially, most of those who came to the mountain were independent cultivators who roamed the martial world from all over the Ling Dynasty.
Most of these people's cultivation levels are below the Eleventh Realm. They have struggled for half their lives and are quite well-known in their localities. They possess considerable skills and divine weapons, and they hold the most basic convictions in their hearts.
He stormed Qingfeng Temple, defeated the legendary Daoist, and from then on became famous throughout the world, joining the ranks of top cultivators.
However, all their confidence and pride shattered the moment they set foot on Qingfeng Mountain.
Challengers flocked to the mountain, but none were ever able to withstand a single full move from Chen Du.
Some rogue cultivators had just drawn their swords, and before the sword light could even be fully unfurled, they were struck by the energy emanating from Chen Du's casual flick of his finger. Their blood surged, and they were sent flying dozens of feet into the air before crashing heavily off the mountain path. Their meridians were numb, and they didn't even have the strength to lift their hands to grip their swords.
Someone had been preparing for a long time, unleashing their strongest move with all their cultivation, but it was easily swept away by the faint sword wind emanating from Chen Du's body. The person was swept directly out of the mountain gate boundary, landing in a sorry state, and was unable to see the trajectory of the opponent's attack until their defeat.
Many cultivators who were overconfident in their exceptional talent failed to even touch Chen Du's clothes after reaching the summit, and were inexplicably defeated, their minds blank and unable to recover for a long time.
After the earliest challengers descended the mountain, their mindsets completely diverged.
Some people, fully aware of the terrifying disparity in skill, completely shut their mouths and refused to utter a single detail of their fight on the mountain, no matter how others pressed them for answers. They buried this humiliating yet shocking experience deep in their hearts.
Another group of people completely lost their Daoist heart. The first thing they did upon returning home was to seal away the weapons that had accompanied them for half their lives, severing their path in Martial Dao. From then on, they retreated to the mountains and forests, never daring to touch the path of cultivation again.
However, the Martial Dao world is never short of people who harbor illusions and refuse to be outdone.
The more fantastical the rumors, the more evasive the losers become, and the more powerful individuals will come to challenge them.
In just a few years, the cultivation threshold for those who went up the mountain to challenge the mountain has been raised layer by layer. They have gradually become sect masters who have just entered the Eleventh Realm Twelfth Realm, and then giants who have broken through the Twelfth Realm and reached the Stellar Eighth Metamorphosis or Ninth Metamorphosis of the star.
These people are all the top combat forces that each sect and faction of the Ling Dynasty has kept hidden. They are figures who stand at the top of the martial arts world. Their cultivation is awe-inspiring and they are respected by everyone. They have never suffered the slightest setback.
Carrying the expectations of their sect and their own pride, they ascended Qingfeng Mountain, wanting to personally end the myth of Qingfeng Temple's invincibility.
But the outcome has never changed in the slightest; every year people go up the mountain, but every year no one wins.
Facing a group of top experts, Chen Du remained calm and composed.
The fastest can decide the outcome in a single breath; the moment the opponent begins their move, the result is already decided.
Even top-tier experts with strength far exceeding that of ordinary people can only barely withstand three moves at most before being completely defeated and unable to fight any longer, even when they exert all their strength.
For over three years and three hundred days, there were daily matches and monthly challengers.
Through countless battles and countless victories and defeats, the Calamity Qi from the backlash of Heavenly Dao and the convergence of Martial Dao tribulations lingered around Chen Du's body in layers.
That was the immense calamity power condensed from the defeat and destruction of countless geniuses and the loss of their Dao hearts. It was vast and boundless, accumulating to an extremely terrifying level. It was so massive that even Chen Du himself was too lazy to carefully deduce and measure it.
The reputation of Qingfeng Temple spread like wildfire from a corner of the Eastern Wasteland, sweeping across the entire Ling Dynasty.
From the highest court nobles and sect elders to the martial arts practitioners and common people in the mountains, everyone knows the Qingfeng Temple in the Eastern Wasteland, and everyone knows the invincible name of the young Daoist priest in the temple.
This renowned reputation not only covered the vast territory of the Ling Dynasty, but also crossed mountains and rivers, spreading to several neighboring dynasties, becoming the most legendary Martial Dao tale in the entire region.
Just as Qingfeng Temple reached its zenith, with no one in the world daring to challenge its might, a massive upheaval suddenly erupted, sweeping across the entire Southern Domain.
The southern region of Ling Dynasty is vast, with wild and untamed mountains stretching for thousands of miles. The terrain is treacherous, and the population is sparse. Few people venture there year-round, making it a desolate and remote place in the eyes of the world.
But in this desolate and uninhabited place, just as the three-year term was about to end and a storm was brewing, a mysterious figure appeared out of nowhere.
This person calls himself "God Venerable," and has no master, no background, and no past. It is as if he was born out of thin air, and his background has become the biggest mystery in the entire Ling Dynasty.
No one knows how many years he has cultivated, no one knows who his master was, and no one knows how long he has been hiding in the Southern Domain wilderness.
On the day the God Venerable appeared in the world, he hovered directly in the sky above the number one city in the Southern Domain, his entire body completely enveloped in a thick, dark purple divine light.
The purple divine light was vast and terrifying, carrying an overwhelming and supreme pressure that could crush all things, enveloping the entire city and causing people's minds to tremble.
Under the watchful eyes of millions across the city, he simply raised his hand and pressed down.
With a deafening roar, the city's protective array, which had enveloped the giant city and guarded this place for hundreds of years, a top-tier array that had been reinforced by countless generations of cultivators and was strong enough to withstand the fierce attacks of the Stellar Realm expert, instantly collapsed and disintegrated. The array patterns all over the sky turned into streams of light and scattered away, and its endless power vanished without a trace.
Hundreds of thousands of people in the city collapsed to the ground, trembling. No one dared to look up at the figure in the sky. They could only kowtow in fear, thinking it was a real god descending to earth or a demon from a chaotic world coming to earth.
The deity stood atop the clouds, his gaze sweeping over the vast Southern Domain. His God Venerable, icy voice pierced through the clouds, echoing across hundreds of millions of miles of mountains and rivers, each word reaching the ears of everyone present.
He claimed to have been sent to earth by divine mandate, bearing the heavy responsibility of governing the world, to sweep away the chaos and disorder, restore the Ling Dynasty's mountains and rivers, and take control of the order of heaven and earth.
Domineering and arrogant, yet possessing an absolute power that is irresistible.
From then on, the Southern Domain was plunged into complete turmoil.
The God Venerable's methods were swift and powerful, his strength unfathomable. Wherever he went, sects bowed down and their forces surrendered.
In just a few months, he crushed everything with absolute force, successively subduing more than a dozen major sects in the Southern Domain that had been passed down for hundreds of millions of years, and forcefully integrating most of the Martial Dao forces and secular powers in the Southern Domain.
His power expanded like a snowball, growing stronger day by day, rapidly becoming a terrifying force capable of shaking the entire Ling Dynasty.
Faced with such overwhelming power, the officials of the various prefectures and counties in the Southern Domain were powerless to resist.
Those who dared to resist and refuse to surrender were all mercilessly killed; those who were afraid of death and those who knew how to adapt surrendered one after another and submitted to the God Venerable.
The flames of war spread all the way, eventually reaching the fiefdom of the King of Nanli.
King of Nanli was a member of the royal family of the Ling Dynasty, guarding the Southern Domain. He had deep roots and immense power, yet he was still no match for the God Venerable's army.
The God Venerable army surrounded the city layer by layer, gradually encroaching upon it, and managed to trap most of the vast King of Nanli's fiefdom. The isolated city was on the verge of collapse and could fall completely at any moment.
In this desperate situation, King of Nanli was extremely anxious. Regardless of the long distance, he urged the Capital of the Ling Dynasty to send three urgent secret letters to the capital, each word filled with tears and pleading for help.
When the news reached the Capital, the entire court was in an uproar.
The elderly emperor of the Ling Dynasty was restless and unable to sleep all night. He summoned all civil and military officials and important ministers to the palace to discuss strategies to repel the enemy.
Inside the Golden Chime Hall, civil and military officials gathered, all with solemn expressions, yet all were at a loss.
The court officials, nobles, and renowned generals, who usually engage in lofty discussions and display their unique abilities, are all helpless in the face of this mysterious and powerful Southern Domain God Venerable.
The vast Ling Dynasty court was plunged into a desperate situation where there was no one to rely on and no solutions to be found.
Just when the people of the court and the country were in a state of panic and the whole country was in turmoil, the God Venerable who had stirred up the winds and clouds in the Southern Domain suddenly made a shocking statement.
He said that the vast Ling Dynasty, its thousands of miles of rivers and mountains, its myriad living beings, its countless cultivators, and its numerous sects and kings, were all beneath his notice.
Within the entire Ling Dynasty, the only place that he could take seriously and that was worth his attention was the Qingfeng Temple in the Eastern Wasteland.
This statement caused an uproar throughout the land.
Then, the God Venerable voice resounded once more throughout the Southern Domain, announcing his purpose.
Qingfeng Temple harbors a false god who steals the fortune of heaven and earth, hiding in the mountains and wilderness, stealing the creation of the universe, and disrupting the order of heaven and earth.
As a person ordained by Heaven, he should act on behalf of Heaven and sweep away chaos.
One day he will personally lead a large army north, raze Qingfeng Temple to the ground, expose the false god hiding among the people, and restore peace to the world.
With these words spoken, all the sects in the Southern Domain that had submitted to and relied on the God Venerable were in an uproar.
The sect leaders and elders of all the major sects expressed their support and their disciples trained day and night, preparing for war and waiting for the God Venerable's order to march north, besiege Qingfeng Temple, and destroy this legendary lineage of the Ling Dynasty.
A storm is brewing; dark clouds loom over the city.
The harbinger of a tumultuous storm, having traversed thousands of mountains and rivers, finally settled steadily into the tranquil and peaceful Qingfeng Mountain.
At that time, Qingfeng Temple was still a peaceful and serene place, completely different from the chaotic and turbulent world outside.
Chen Du sat upright in the bamboo courtyard in the backyard, surrounded by swaying green bamboo, a gentle breeze, and the babbling of mountain springs, the environment was elegant and serene.
Several junior disciples who had just entered the sect sat in front of him. They were young and immature, and they were listening attentively as he explained the most basic breathing techniques and the foundation of cultivation.
The peddler from the foot of the mountain traveled thousands of miles up the mountain, reporting every change in the outside world, the God Venerable's declaration of war, and the great chaos in the Southern Domain without uttering a single word.
After hearing all the news, Chen Du's expression remained completely unchanged. His brows and eyes were calm and composed, showing no fear, gravity, or panic.
He listened quietly to the report, then gently folded the intelligence letter that had been delivered, placing it neatly on the bluestone table in front of him.
Then, as if nothing had happened, he continued to lower his eyes, speaking calmly, and carefully explained the breathing techniques he had not yet finished, patiently answering the questions of his junior disciples, without being disturbed by the turmoil outside.
Down in the mountains, chaos reigns, and war is imminent.
On the mountain, the mind is clear and pure, and the gentle breeze remains unchanged.
By the time the sermon ended, night had already enveloped the entire Qingfeng Mountain, and moonlight spilled onto the bamboo forest, bathing the ground in its gentle glow.
Just then, a cold system notification suddenly sounded in Chen Du's mind, officially triggering the long-dormant Calamity Warning.
[Calamity Warning triggered.]
[Simulation in progress... Simulation complete.]
[The origins of the Southern Domain God Venerable are unknown, but his true cultivation level is at least at the Early Stage of the Thirteenth Tier. His strength is extraordinary, overwhelming all known powerhouses in the Ling Dynasty. He boasted of wiping out Qingfeng Temple, and deduction suggests that he is a member of the top-tier reclusive force Xuanwu Divine Hall.]
[If the host does not respond, the God Venerable will integrate all forces in the Southern Domain, coerce the sects and lords along the way, and form a million-strong army to march north, advancing layer by layer, ultimately besieging Qingfeng Mountain and launching a full-scale attack on Qingfeng Temple.]
[Suggestion: There is no need to take the initiative to go south to intercept and kill, nor is there any need to rush to defend against the enemy. Instead, we should hold the blessed land of Qingfeng Mountain Daoist Palace, wait for the enemy to tire themselves out, sit and guard the mountain gate, and use the Qingfeng Temple the Dao Resonance of heaven and earth, the fortune of the mountain gate, and the formation of the mountains and rivers to meet the enemy.]
Wait patiently for the enemy army to make their long march, exhausted and weary, then wage a decisive battle before the mountain gate. This victory will subdue all sects under heaven, instantly shatter the Xuanwu Divine Hall's layout, and firmly establish an invincible foundation for our cultivation in the mortal realm.
The system simulation is complete, and the recommendations are clear and concise.
It's better to stay put and defend your core territory than to take the initiative.
Responding to all changes with constancy, using the pure and tranquil Daoist realm to withstand the onslaught of war in a chaotic world.
Chen Du slowly raised his eyes, gazing at the starry sky and moon. His eyes were clear and calm, filled only with indifference.
Countless challengers have climbed the mountain over the past three years, and all have done so.
Regardless of the strength of the opponent or the size of the turmoil, he was content to simply remain at Qingfeng Temple.
He slowly stood up, his mind stirred slightly, and the Thirteenth Tier divine sword that had been dormant deep in his sea of consciousness responded and emerged. The clear sword body flowed with a faint Dao Resonance, and it landed steadily in his hand, where he gently hung it at his waist.
The sword's light was concealed, its sharpness hidden, yet it concealed the power to cleave through the chaos of a turbulent world.
After getting ready, Chen Du pushed open the wooden door of the bamboo courtyard. The evening breeze fluttered the hem of his Daoist robe. He walked slowly and steadily toward his master's meditation room.
Chaos is imminent, and countless enemies are about to arrive.
Qingfeng Temple will stand tall amidst the green mountains, quietly awaiting enemies from all directions.