The Demonic Path's Trap, the Celestial Masters' Mansion's Crisis of Destruction
The next day, Chen Du came out of the house.
Before he even reached the front yard, he heard several young Daoist priests gathered under the old locust tree, their voices low and their faces full of indignation.
"Have you heard? The entire Lihuo Sect the three thousand disciples, less than a hundred escaped!" A round-faced Daoist priest's lips trembled as he spoke. "The blood has stained the stone steps outside the mountain gate red, and the corpses are piled up from the foot of the mountain all the way to the main hall!"
"Who did this? Which powerful figure in the demonic path could wipe out the Lihuo Sect in one night?" another older Daoist priest pressed.
"Who else could it be? It's someone from our Celestial Master's Mansion!" The round-faced Daoist swallowed hard, his eyes darting left and right, and his voice lowered a few decibels. "Zhang Yanzhen! The one who was expelled from the sect back then. You're young, you don't know him. Twenty years ago, when he was in the manor, he was exceptionally talented. He reached the fifth realm of the Core Formation when he was only in his early thirties. Even the manor lord praised him as a genius that comes along only once in a century."
Later, for some unknown reason, he secretly learned forbidden techniques and was caught red-handed by the Punishment Hall. He lost most of his cultivation and was banished down the mountain. Everyone thought he was dead, but who knew he had actually entered the demonic path and had now become a great demon, wiping out the Lihuo Sect with a single move!
"Hiss~"
Several young Daoist priests gasped in shock.
"That's not all." The round-faced Daoist priest became more and more excited as he spoke, "I heard that he carries a scroll of the 'Blood Demon Soul-Refining Scripture' on his back, which is an ancient demonic and evil technique that is specifically designed to absorb people's souls and essence."
Those disciples of the Lihuo Sect died a horrible death, all of them were drained of their life force. Some say he has now entered the Eighth Realm, while others say he is half-demon and half-human. Even the combined efforts of the Lihuo Sect's Seventh Realm elders couldn't withstand three of his moves!
"The Eighth Realm... wouldn't that be the same level as the lost ancestor of the Celestial Masters' Mansion?"
"Who can argue with that? In this world, the immortal sects are declining while the demonic path is Great Sheng. Even our own senior brothers who descended the mountain have perished. Now, with the emergence of such a ferocious demon, the world is likely to descend into complete chaos."
"Alas, we were hoping that our Celestial Masters' Mansion could suppress this demonic force, but now, let alone the Celestial Master, even the Mansion Master himself has been stuck in the Seventh Realm for many years. If we really have to face Zhang Yanzhen, who can stop him?"
The more they talked, the more pessimistic they became. Some even brought up the past glory of their sect, which seemed even more desolate compared to their current situation.
Chen Du walked past without stopping.
Whether it's Zhang Yanzhen or the Blood Demon Soul-Refining Scripture, to him now, they are nothing more than a bloody storm outside Longhu Mountain that has nothing to do with him.
He came to this Celestial Master Realm not to fight for anyone's rights or to be a savior.
Li Mo, the young Daoist priest of Longhu Mountain, simply kept his head down, sweeping his own floor and copying his own scriptures.
As for the rest, I neither listen, nor ask, nor care.
A mountain breeze blew by, carrying the chill of late autumn, swirling down a few withered leaves that landed at his feet. He walked around the leaves and continued towards the front yard.
Another ten years have passed.
The flowers on Longhu Mountain bloom and fade, fade and bloom again.
Chen Du has transformed from the frail young Daoist priest of yesteryear into a seasoned veteran of the household.
He remained inconspicuous, still living in the small courtyard of the outer gate servants, still sweeping the hall, copying scriptures, and serving every day.
No matter how strong the wind and waves are at the foot of the mountain, they are only like a gentle breeze to him.
Over the past decade, he has gone deeper and searched more meticulously.
The rich history of the Celestial Master’s Mansion of Mount Longhu is not only reflected in its main halls, but also in those long-forgotten corners.
Among the ruins of the oldest Ascension Platform in the Celestial Masters' Mansion, he obtained the "Treasured Scripture of the Celestial Master the Supreme Purity and Ascension to Immortality".
This manual is the core cultivation method for the Heavenly Master Realm, directly pointing to the Peak Stage the Heavenly Master Realm. Compared to what was obtained ten years ago, it is more complete and more profound.
Before the sealed stone gate of the Demon-Suppressing Ancient Cave, he obtained the "Five Directions Prison-Suppressing Cave Mystery Great Method". This method can draw upon the power of the five directions' earth veins to suppress demons, using the earth as a prison and the Celestial Master's Dharma intent as a lock, specifically to subdue the true form of the demonic path.
He obtained the "Dragon-Tiger Heavenly Script Seven-Turn Divine Art" from the cliff face of the forbidden area "Heavenly Script Cliff" in Longhu Mountain.
The Daoist marks on Heavenly Script Cliff are said to have been carved by the founder of the sect himself. Chen Du manifested the Dao Resonance and extracted from them this method of cultivating the Celestial Master body and achieving sainthood through seven transformations.
Deep within the former site of Leichi, he obtained the "Divine Firmament Nine Annihilation Purple Extreme True Thunder Great Method".
It is a level higher than the Five Thunders Orthodox Method. When cultivated to its extreme, it can summon the Nine Annihilation Divine Thunders to slay demons and break through boundaries, making it incomparably domineering.
In the "Myriad Laws Rock" on the back mountain, he obtained the "True Chapter of Returning to the Origin of All Methods and Cleansing the Spirit".
This method does not involve cultivating Qi or practicing magic; it focuses solely on cleansing the soul and purifying the Dao heart. While it may seem useless, it is an indispensable foundation for breaking through to the Late Stage of the Heavenly Master Realm.
As for the elixir formula, he obtained the "Taiqing Feathering and Rejuvenation Elixir Formula" in a dark room beneath the Ascension Platform.
This elixir, guided by the millennia-old Dao Resonance of the Ascension Platform, can help cultivators at the Heavenly Master Realm strengthen their divine souls and advance to higher realms.
Inside the Demon-Suppressing Furnace at the entrance of the Demon-Suppressing Ancient Cave, he obtained the "Five Directions Earth Vein Soul-Refining Pill Formula." This elixir can draw upon the essence of the five directions of the earth veins to strengthen one's foundation and enhance one's cultivation.
He obtained the "Dragon-Tiger Heavenly Script Seven-Turn Golden Pill Formula" from the ancient cauldron at the top of Heavenly Script Cliff.
This pill is paired with the Dragon-Tiger Heavenly Script Seven-Turn Divine Art. One pill is given for each turn, and after seven turns, both the physical body and the spirit can advance to the next level.
In the deepest part of the Thunder Pool, he obtained the "Divine Firmament Purple Extreme Thunder Transformation Elixir Formula".
This elixir cleanses the body with divine thunder and Dao Resonance; consuming it is like undergoing a tempering process by thunder and fire, greatly benefiting the physical body of the Heavenly Master Realm.
He found the "Myriad Laws Heart-Cleansing Dao-Condensing Pill Formula" in an ancient well behind Myriad Laws Rock.
This elixir is most effective at nourishing the Daoist mind. When taken in conjunction with the "True Chapter on Cleansing the Spirit and Returning to the Origin of All Methods," its effects are multiplied.
For the past ten years, Chen Du worked during the day and practiced alchemy and cultivation at night.
He consumed one divine pill after another, refined with Dao Resonance, gradually raising his cultivation level to the Heavenly Master Realm.
It only took him ten years to go from initially entering the Heavenly Master Realm to firmly establishing himself in the Middle Stage the Heavenly Master Realm.
It should be understood that the difference between the Heavenly Master Realm and the Heavenly Master realm is like heaven and earth.
Many prodigies may not be able to advance from the Early Stage to the Middle Stage of the Heavenly Master Realm even if they spend their entire lives, but he did it quietly.
But the world outside has also changed completely in these ten years.
The demonic path spread like wildfire, and Demon Sects and evil cultivators seized the opportunity to rise up. Many small and medium-sized sects were either wiped out or forced to close their mountains to protect themselves.
Although the Celestial Master’s Mansion of Mount Longhu still stands, the number of disciples who descended the mountain has increased even more, and demonic shadows are now everywhere outside the mountain gate.
Some say that Zhang Yanzhen is no longer alone; he has gathered countless demonic cultivators under his command, established the "Blood Motian Sect," and proclaimed himself the Demon Lord, showing a strong tendency to annex the Daoist sects.
The Celestial Masters' Mansion became a thorn in his side that he was determined to eliminate.
Chen Du remained deaf to his words; for twenty years, he had lived his life like a stone.
But beneath this stone, a power already accumulating enough to overturn the entire sky had already been gathered!
The Eighth Realm, the Heavenly Master Realm, is a realm that stands on the clouds in the Celestial Master Realm.
Looking across the world, there may not be one person who reaches this level even once every few centuries.
In this world, it is said that only the White-Brow Patriarch of Whitehead Mountain in the Southern Border, the No-Life Monk of Cold Abyss Temple in the north, and a few half-immortal monsters who have not appeared in the world for decades are worthy of the title of Eighth Realms.
Oh, and there's also Zhang Yanzhen, the Demon Lord who massacred the Lihuo Sect and established the Blood Motian Sect.
Chen Du was one of them.
On this day, news came from outside Longhu Mountain that demonic cultivators were causing trouble in several villages a hundred miles away at the foot of the mountain. Their methods were cruel, and many families had already suffered.
Since the Celestial Master’s Mansion of Mount Longhu was the closest, the mansion's master, Zhou Xuanzhen, immediately selected several immortals and led a dozen disciples down the mountain to exorcise the demon.
Chen Du was also among this group of disciples.
But when they arrived, they found the village unusually quiet.
All the lights went out, and there was no sound of chickens or dogs. Several figures stood at the village entrance, as if they had been waiting for them.