Ancestral Land of Daoism

"There's no need to pursue the secret of the Ninety-Nine Dragon Mountains. That mystery is recorded on another Immortal Bone Map. This Jade Book merely mentions it. It is a taboo beyond what we can pursue now."

Yan Kuan stopped Monkey and Old Crane from continuing their discussion of the Ninety-Nine Dragon Mountains' secret. It was a forbidden secret of Kunlun. Better that the demons of Ten Thousand Demons Valley did not learn of it; they could not bear such a secret.

Old Crane looked at Yan Kuan and said gravely, "The secret of the Immortal Bone? The secret of the Jade Book? Brother Li is Grand Sage Red Pine's Cross-Generation Disciple. He should know how to interpret the secrets recorded in this Jade Book!"

"Mm."

Yan Kuan nodded, then spoke aloud. "Back then, the legendary Earth Immortal, Quasi-Emperor Rongcheng, learned the secret of Becoming Immortal and obtained part of the Bone Fragment Terrain Map before breaking into the Ninety-Nine Dragon Mountains. It is said that he was trapped within for many years before finally escaping.

"Afterward, he arranged Ninety-Nine Small Dragons for himself, imitating the Ninety-Nine Great Dragon Mountains. The Dragon Mountains carved upon these Nine Ancient Jade Pieces are not the original Ninety-Nine True Dragon Mountains, but his own burial ground."

"An Earth Immortal! Quasi-Emperor Rongcheng!"

After Monkey and Old Crane exchanged glances, they immediately reached a decision. "This secret must be investigated. Our predecessors spent so much time and effort on this; there must be an answer.

"Though such a magnificent formation was arranged by human hands, once this kind of terrain takes shape, it will inevitably give birth to divine splendor. After thousands upon thousands of years, it can influence the layout of the surrounding mountains. Perhaps we can start from there and find the Burial Grounds of Earth Immortals.

"Third Brother, arrange for people to search all across Sichuan..."

Old Crane was about to mobilize Ten Thousand Demons Valley's elite to search for the Burial Grounds of Earth Immortals when Yan Kuan leisurely gathered up all the jade pieces and stopped them. "I know where that place is. I just wonder whether the two Valley Lords dare to go with me."

Yan Kuan slowly named a place. The two Valley Lords of Ten Thousand Demons Valley were both stunned, but moments later, they made their decision. This matter had to be resolved. Thus, their group set out that very day, traveling without pause until they reached the place and surveyed it from afar.

The mountains coiled like dragons, soaring toward the heavens, yet also crouched like tigers, majestic and imposing. Dragon and tiger contended with one another, neither yielding. Water wound around the mountains and curled about the peaks. There were ninety-nine peaks and twenty-four crags. Though they did not resemble dragons, they possessed that same bearing, the softness of water complementing the dragon's hardness.

"There is an ancient grand formation here, sealing away a secret place. It has even affected the layout of the surrounding mountains and rivers. The Burial Grounds of Earth Immortals should be here."

"This is the Ancestral Land of Daoism. We must be careful. If they discover us, at least half the Daoists in the world may fight us to the death."

Outside Dragon Tiger Mountain in Jiangxi, the two Valley Lords of Ten Thousand Demons Valley—supreme experts of the current Dragon Transformation Realm—appeared timid and apprehensive. Yan Kuan, on the other hand, strode lightly toward the mountain where tiger crouched and dragon coiled.

Dragon Tiger Mountain was encircled by terrain resembling a coiling dragon and crouching tiger. It was magnificent, steep, and rugged, with layered peaks. Dragons seemed to leap, tigers seemed to pounce, shaking off dust as Purple Qi rose into the air.

After thousands of years of accumulation and several cycles of rise and decline, Dragon Tiger Mountain had come to be recognized as Daoism's foremost mountain and the birthplace of Daoist culture, holding the exalted status of an ancestral court.

Dragon Tiger Mountain was deeply mysterious. As the Ancestral Land of Daoism, it housed many aged Daoists in secluded cultivation, and even Great Divine Power Experts of the Immortal Platform Realm guarded it.

Monkey gazed into the mountain terrain with his pair of golden eyes. After a moment, he nodded and whispered, "No wonder Daoism chose this place. The sages of my demon race never understood it, but now I finally do. An Earth Immortal—or rather, a Quasi-Emperor expert—is buried here."

Old Crane also sighed. "In ancient times, this place was protected by a grand formation. The Burial Grounds of Earth Immortals had only just taken shape and could not yet affect the surrounding terrain. Now its divine splendor has finally matured, and the terrain can no longer conceal itself, allowing us to glimpse a corner of it. Daoism truly had capable people; they chose this place so early."

Speaking of the Daoist lineage, one had to mention Laozi and Zhuangzi of the pre-Qin era, though its origins stretched back even further. Strictly speaking, it could be traced to ancient times.

The Dao had existed since ancient times. The teachings of Yellow Emperor and Laozi expounded upon it. Its scriptures were numerous, broad, and profound, and later generations honored Yellow Emperor and Laozi as its founders.

The Daoist school had existed long before, but it emerged as a true organization relatively late. The rise of Tianshi Dao and Dragon Tiger Mountain's establishment as an ancestral court were landmark events.

Later, through thousands of years of changing fortunes, Daoism gave rise to hundreds of sects. They relied upon one another, branched out from one another, and even stood opposed to one another. There had never truly been unity.

From ancient times to the present, after many rises and falls, Daoism now had many branches, but they could broadly be divided into two major factions. One was the northern Quanzhen Sect, which chiefly cultivated the inner elixir.

The other was the southern Zhengyi Sect, which primarily used Talismans. Its ancestral court was Dragon Tiger Mountain, and it occupied half of the Daoist Sect world. At the same time, its origins marked the beginning of Daoism as an organized faith.

The Zhengyi Sect was divided into three branches: Tianshi Dao, Lingbao Sect, and Shangqing Sect. Tianshi Dao revered Laozi, Lingbao Sect revered the Celestial Worthy of Numinous Treasure, and Shangqing Sect revered the Primal Celestial Venerable. Daoism's revered Three Pure Ones arose from this. None of these three branches was much weaker than the Quanzhen Sect, and their influence was naturally terrifying.

Dragon Tiger Mountain was the Daoist Ancestral Court. They had to act carefully; the slightest misstep could cause an incident and possibly make them enemies of all Daoism.

Yan Kuan led Monkey and Old Crane into the mountains. Along the way, they studied the terrain. This Ancestral Land of Daoism had ninety-nine mountains and twenty-four crags. Though the ninety-nine mountains did not take dragon form, they possessed the bearing of dragons and tigers.

The First Valley Lord drew in a strand of Purple Qi from heaven and earth and sighed. "The spiritual essence of heaven and earth is now exhausted, yet this place still contains condensed Purple Qi. It truly is the birthplace of Daoism."

Not long after his sigh, the three had arrived at the ruins of the outer mountain of the Daoist Ancestral Court. Unfortunately, its former splendor could no longer be seen.

At its height, Dragon Tiger Mountain had possessed Ten Great Dao Palaces, Eighty-One Daoist Observatories, and Thirty-Six Daoist Courts. During the Manchu Dynasty's rule, Tibetan Buddhism was favored while Daoism, chiefly believed in by the Han people, was suppressed. Naturally, this place declined.

After the Manchu Dynasty ended, the Central Lands suffered another great calamity. A century of war followed, and several years ago it was struck by disaster again. The Daoist observatories were all destroyed, leaving only a single Tianshi Manor.

However, those destroyed Daoist observatories and Dao palaces had merely been the facade of the outer mountain. The true ancient Inner Mountain was isolated from the mundane world and guarded by cultivators.

Monkey came beneath a mountain and pointed toward a cliff ahead. "Look. This should be the place. Hanging Coffins can be found among the cliffs of the outer mountain, all ancient relics from more than two thousand years ago, let alone those of the Inner Mountain."

The Dragon Tiger Mountain Cliff Tombs mostly contained Coffins from the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, a marvel unique to China. Daoism had taken root here and truly flourished, and it was said to be connected to the wondrous majesty of the Hanging Coffins.

Old Crane said, "Now that I think about it, Daoism truly planned far ahead. They knew long ago that the Earth Immortal's Hanging Coffin was here. They arrived before anyone else and occupied this place. Even if we enter now, we may not be able to find the Earth Immortal's hidden treasure."

As an Ancestral Land of Daoism with a history spanning several thousand years, Dragon Tiger Mountain's Inner Mountain was unknown to ordinary people. The demon race and western lineages had never entered it either. Even if this place contained a world-shaking secret, outsiders could not possibly know of it; they would struggle even to find the entrance.