I Don't Go By Zhang

"Strange, why are so many cultivators gathered here?" Jade Rabbit wondered, her gaze unconsciously falling on the storyteller's seat.

It was still empty; clearly, Su Yang had not yet appeared.

"Oh well, I'll wait a bit longer," she thought, recalling the mission Heavenly Court had assigned her.

Find the trace of one of the Seven Fairies—Ziwei—in the Earthly Immortal Realm. Thinking of this, a slight smile curved Jade Rabbit's lips.

"This is a good opportunity to linger in the mortal world for a few more days."

Meanwhile, the City God was in a panic, contemplating whether he should withdraw and report back to Heavenly Court to lessen his own guilt.

Just as he was hesitating, Su Yang's figure stepped into the inn.

"Since I've already made a mistake, further worries are useless. Why not first hear what exactly is hidden within the Ancient Starry Road?"

The City God decided inwardly.

Su Yang looked at the crowded hall, a hint of surprise on his face.

The number of listeners today far exceeded yesterday's. Could they truly have come by reputation?

A surge of excitement instantly welled up within him!

More people meant more points, and more points meant more chances to draw in the System space, thus a faster increase in his strength!

This was undoubtedly a cause for joy.

His gaze swept over the crowd, a smile on his face, his mood already buoyant.

The listeners, upon seeing Su Yang appear, also had looks of joy on their faces.

They all spoke up, "Mr. Su is here, quickly prepare to begin!"

"Yes, Mr. Su, you stopped yesterday when talking about the Ancient Starry Road. I couldn't sleep all night, my mind filled with thoughts of the Ancient Starry Road and the Nine Dragons Pulling Coffin."

"That's right, Mr. Su, you can't keep us in suspense today."

"Yes, Mr. Su, so many people have come today, all for your storytelling. You must tell us more today."

Su Yang did not respond to the crowd's enthusiasm and walked directly to his seat.

First, he tidied his belongings, then he replaced the tea in his cup with fresh tea.

These unhurried actions, however, made the crowd anxious.

They were all impatient, but Su Yang remained unhurried, his expression unchanged. The crowd found themselves helpless for a moment.

Get angry? They really wouldn't be able to listen then!

They could only suppress their impatience and wait for Su Yang to finish his preparations before they could continue listening to the strange tales of the Ancient Starry Road.

In the crowd, Jade Rabbit watched Su Yang's demeanor, a surge of anger rising within her.

She gripped the jade pendant in her hand tightly, secretly complaining, "Why is this person so infuriating? Is he deliberately playing coy just because his story is exciting?"

Not far away, Ziwei, one of the Seven Fairies, also showed a hint of impatience between her brows.

"Queen Mother introduced me to listen to the book, why is this person so long-winded? I still have a lot of chores to do at home."

Just then, Su Yang finally finished tidying up and casually clapped the clapper.

"Crack!"

With a crisp sound, the table was actually smashed to pieces.

Everyone was startled. How much strength did Mr. Su use?

Su Yang himself was a bit surprised. Looking at the shattered table, he frowned slightly, "It seems my strength has improved too quickly, and I haven't fully controlled my own power yet."

"Oh well, we'll make do."

Saying this, he tossed the clapper aside, opened his fan, and said softly, "Last time, we talked about Ye Fan and several protagonists emerging from the Nine Dragons Pulling Coffin."

"They stepped onto the Ancient Starry Road, and the scene before them greatly shocked them!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the crowd in the hall seemed to instantly find themselves on that mysterious and unpredictable Ancient Starry Road!

Ziwei experienced this feeling for the first time, a flicker of surprise in her eyes.

What method was this? It actually made people feel as if they were truly there?

"Ye Fan and his companions slowly stepped onto the Ancient Starry Road, and in this vast, empty void, a Five-Colored Altar appeared."

All the listeners were shaken, guessing inwardly.

Who built this Five-Colored Altar?

"On the altar, a massive Taiji Bagua Diagram was clearly displayed! The space around the diagram was distorted, with light and shadow intertwining. On the Taiji, countless runes flickered with a faint glow, like ancient and mysterious codes, silently telling untold secrets."

The crowd listened intently, their gazes seemingly cast towards the Five-Colored Altar.

They saw the Taiji slowly rotating on the altar, two yin-yang fish swimming leisurely within the diagram, lifelike.

"Just as Ye Fan and the others were about to approach and investigate, the Bronze Coffin suddenly trembled slightly, as if something was amiss!"

"A loud 'clang' sound echoed! The Bronze Coffin violently shook, and under the intense trembling, an irresistible suction force surged from within, instantly pulling everyone back into the Nine Dragons Pulling Coffin!"

Everyone's bodies trembled, and they took half a step back, their faces slightly changed, clearly feeling that strange pulling force.

What is going on here?

What does that spinning Taiji Bagua Diagram represent?

What is the true purpose of the Five-Colored Altar?

Before them lay only desolation, and their hearts were deeply shaken.

"With the Nine Dragons Pulling Coffin moving slowly forward, Ye Fan and the others finally arrived at the first stop of their journey, the legendary Ancient Starry Road—Yinghuo."

"Stepping onto the land of Yinghuo, the ground was all reddish-brown earth and gravel. As far as the eye could see, it was vast, empty, and deathly silent."

"As they slowly walked forward, a ruined palace complex suddenly appeared before them, like a giant beast that had slept for a thousand years, standing silently amidst the wind and sand."

"Just as Ye Fan and the others were puzzled, wondering why such a magnificent architectural complex would be here, a faint glimmer of light suddenly flashed in the distance..."

A voice came, and everyone turned their heads in unison, their gazes converging on the light source.

For some reason, they involuntarily followed Su Yang's footsteps, slowly walking towards the light.

"As they approached, they saw that the light originated from an ancient temple. In front of the door, an ancient Bodhi tree was twisted like a dragon, its entire body withered."

"Only two to three meters off the ground, a few green leaves grew, crystal clear like jade. Green light flickered, like a divine object."

"Looking at the temple door again, a plaque hung above it, with four ancient characters on it. The ink light was faint, flowing continuously..."

Everyone's eyes were involuntarily drawn, and they all looked at the plaque, trying to make out the characters on it.

"Ye Fan, who understood ancient texts, recognized the meaning of the four characters at a glance. This ancient temple was actually the legendary—Great Thunderclap Temple!"

As the words fell, everyone was shocked. Their eyes showed astonishment and disbelief, and they began to whisper amongst themselves.

The name Great Thunderclap Temple was well-known throughout the Earthly Immortal Realm; it was no ordinary place.

Legend had it that it was the dwelling place of all the gods and Buddhas. The Buddha, Guanyin, and all the great Bodhisattvas resided there.

But according to legend, the Great Thunderclap Temple should be located in the Western Ox Continent, so how could it appear on this Yinghuo?

What was even more puzzling was why this place was so desolate and dilapidated?

Wasn't the Great Thunderclap Temple a sacred Buddhist land? Countless Buddhas and Bodhisattvas had preached and attained enlightenment here, so how could it have become so deserted?

The dilapidated temple before them was truly unimaginable to be the same place as the glorious and magnificent Great Thunderclap Temple of legend.

Where had those legendary Buddhas and gods gone now? Why was no one to be seen?

"Slap!"

Su Yang suddenly struck the wooden pillar beside him with the clapper in his hand. A crisp sound instantly exploded in the inn.

The listeners woke up as if from a dream, their minds returning. They looked at the storyteller on the stage with complex expressions.

Had they just now felt as if they had truly set foot on Yinghuo, almost getting lost in it?

They had never experienced such deep immersion before!

Coming back to their senses, everyone was still marveling when Su Yang spoke again, his tone as calm as ever: "Ye Fan and the other protagonists slowly walked into the depths of the ancient temple, searching all around, intending to find the supreme treasure left by the former gods and Buddhas..."

"However, just as everyone was focused, Ye Fan suddenly saw a stone Buddha in the temple and was stunned on the spot."

"He seemed to hear a solemn and mysterious voice in his ears."

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone seemed to have personally experienced it again, and that mysterious whisper also quietly appeared in their ears.

"Om, ma, ni, pei, mi, hum..."

As the sound faded, the listeners' expressions became solemn, as if they felt a Buddhist light descending from the heavens, enveloping them.

In a daze, they even felt a sense of ascension.

But just then—

"Slap!"

The clapper sounded again. Su Yang closed his fan with a crisp movement.

The faces of the listeners changed drastically, and a sense of unease suddenly arose in their hearts.

"Could it be..."

"To find out what happens next, listen to the next installment."

Before his words could even finish, everyone's eyes were already glaring angrily.

"Damn it, you're pulling this stunt?"

In the inn, everyone was full of frustration.

It was like this again!

Every time it reached a crucial point, it would suddenly stop.

This was too torturous!

Was he relying on his high popularity and large audience to deliberately tease them?

Couldn't he just say a few more words?

What exactly was that Buddhist light?

Why did the Great Thunderclap Temple appear above Yinghuo?

And that cluster of palaces, shaped like ruins of the Heavenly Palace, aren't you going to talk about them anymore?

Every time, it stops at the most crucial moment...

Everyone was filled with indignation.

If it were anyone else telling the story, they might have let it go. After all, those storytellers merely recited from a script, without any flair.

But Su Yang was different. Every word he spoke could stir people's hearts, making them feel as if they were there, as if they themselves were the protagonist being drawn into the Nine Dragons Pulling Coffin.

Now, just as the Buddha's light shone upon them, before they could comprehend it, they were abruptly interrupted!

Who could stand this?

At this moment, in the inn, if looks could kill, Su Yang would have been riddled with holes and long dead.

"Why did it stop again? It always cuts off at this critical juncture, isn't this killing us?"

"It's like this again, just like this! He only tells half the story, making people's hearts itch, making them want to go up and kick him a couple of times!"

"Is it easy for my dad to crawl out of his grave? He finally managed to hold on with one breath, and now the story is only half told. He'll be so angry when he goes back that he'll lie down again!"

"Sigh, I know this is just the storyteller's trick, but I still can't help but worry. Every time he stops at the important part, my heart feels like it's being scratched by a cat, and I can't wait to know what happens next."

"Who isn't like this? Mr. Su is too good at tormenting people. Can't he just say a few more words? Why does he have to stop talking when people are most anxious..."

"Damn it! I've seen through it. Mr. Su is deliberately holding something back so that we have to come back tomorrow to listen! I'm telling you, if I step through this door again tomorrow, my name isn't Zhang!"