With Zhong Shenxiu slacking off, the time for the second Black Mountain Gathering soon arrived.
Black Wind Ridge.
Old Crow possessed a paper crow and gazed at the full moon in the sky, feeling a headache coming on.
Although these attendees were behaving as they always did, he could still smell the storm brewing. Because of that, he had no choice but to tighten his precautions.
For example, paper figures patrolled all around the canyon.
Old Crow had cut and fashioned every one of those paper soldiers himself. They looked about as tall as ordinary people, yet were as thin as cicada wings, seeming as though a gust of wind might carry them away.
And yet these paper soldiers and paper generals moved as swiftly as the wind, every gesture as keen as a blade.
In particular, Old Crow had already reached the Swallowing Eight Yangs realm, and this art of paper-cutting was the Yang Gang Method!
Ordinary countermeasures such as splashing black dog blood, Red Dragon, or peachwood cores were no longer very effective.
That was also what allowed this old man to remain carefree and host the Black Mountain Gathering.
Even with all that, Old Crow still lacked confidence.
After all, no matter how formidable a spell was, it could never stand against a divine ability!
That was common knowledge throughout the cultivation world!
And now, who knew how many gazes had converged upon this place?
"Old Crow seems troubled?"
Just then, a light laugh rang out.
Old Crow nearly fell from the branch.
He shook his paper feathers and saw Zhong Shenxiu.
The other man seemed to have been standing there all along, still without the slightest attempt at concealment. He held an ivory folding fan and looked suave and dashing, like a noble young master traveling abroad.
"This old man greets Young Master Shenxiu."
Old Crow gave a bitter smile. Spreading his wings and lowering his head, he bowed. "I'm here to lead the way for you, Young Master."
"Excellent."
As if he had failed to notice the grave atmosphere, Zhong Shenxiu strolled into the valley.
Inside, it was still just as it had been last time, with all sorts of people from the Three Religions and Nine Schools gathered around piles of bonfires.
Only, every now and then, a gaze would pretend to sweep over unintentionally before darting away.
Zhong Shenxiu acted as though he had seen nothing. He still came to sit within Old Crow's circle, glanced around, and chuckled. "There are fewer familiar faces now. On the other hand, there are quite a few new ones."
Aside from Old Crow and the disheveled Sword Hero surnamed Lu whom he had met last time, the monkey, paper figure, and woman were all gone from this circle.
How would they dare get involved with a circle of divine-ability experts? Only this old man is unlucky enough to be stuck here, along with that swordfighter who doesn't value his life...
Old Crow cursed inwardly, then forced out a faint smile. "Allow me to introduce them, Young Master. This is Daoist Linghe, a Principal Seventh Rank Envoy of Demon Subjugation from the Protectorate Manor!"
"Greetings, Senior."
Linghe rose and bowed with measured grace, displaying the demeanor of a refined gentleman. He looked like an entirely different person from the one who had previously acted as though no one else existed.
Arrogant before, obsequious afterward. Bah!
Zhong Shenxiu spat inwardly, but showed nothing on his face. He nodded in acknowledgment, then looked toward the other two.
Of everyone present, only these two gave him a relatively strong sense of danger.
"This is the White Bone Scholar, while the other is Fellow Daoist Flying Phoenix. Fellow Daoist Flying Phoenix cultivates on Scattered Flower Mountain and is the eldest of the Flying Flower Sisters. There is also Fellow Daoist Hua Ye, whose divine abilities are extraordinary..."
Old Crow continued.
The White Bone Scholar looked like a down-and-out scholar, his cheeks faintly green as he calmly returned the greeting.
Flying Phoenix was dressed as a nun. With a wave of her horsetail whisk, she used the Daoist form of greeting.
"Greetings to you both."
After getting acquainted with them one by one, Zhong Shenxiu suddenly smiled. "Old Crow's circle is becoming increasingly famous. Congratulations, congratulations!"
Congratulations my foot... So many people are watching this old man now. I'm moving tomorrow!
Old Crow grumbled inwardly, then called out, "Everyone... let's begin!"
Zhong Shenxiu swept his gaze around. Seeing the White Bone Scholar and Flying Phoenix both looking at him, while Daoist Linghe seemed about to speak, he smiled and asked, "I wonder which fellow Daoist will go first this time?"
"Then allow this poor Daoist to go first."
Daoist Linghe faced the several divine-ability experts without the slightest trace of stage fright and spoke loudly. "The Cloud Mirror Sect sincerely wishes to recruit a divine-ability realm elder. I heard that Young Master Shenxiu is searching for a Daoist Secret inheritance? Our sect master has already given his word: the sect's Daoist Arts may be imparted to you without reservation."
His primary purpose in coming this time was still to recruit Zhong Shenxiu, an expert of divine abilities.
For the Cloud Mirror Sect, which had only one Primordial Core Ancestor, a divine-ability cultivator could already serve as an elder. That was also why he had previously forced Feng Xi'er to work for him. Recruiting such an expert would be a major achievement for the sect.
As for the other Rogue Cultivators of divine abilities in the Protectorate Manor? They either were wanted criminals or had already clearly pledged their allegiance elsewhere. The Flying Flower Sisters, for example, had their own blessed land for cultivation and had refused long ago.
Zhong Shenxiu was slightly taken aback, then revealed a thoughtful expression.
Seeing this, Daoist Linghe's eyes brightened, and he was about to urge him further.
At that moment, the White Bone Scholar chuckled. "We have already achieved divine abilities. Even if we obtained a profound orthodox formula, could we really cripple our cultivation and start over? Besides... among those capable of cultivating divine abilities, who doesn't have some other inheritance?"
I really don't have one...
Zhong Shenxiu answered inwardly, then said, "I'm only seeking Daoist Arts for a beloved junior. His constitution... doesn't quite match the Daoist Arts I cultivate."
"That descendant of yours certainly has excellent fortune, to have an ancestor like you guiding him. Who knows how many wrong turns he'll be spared?"
The Flying Phoenix Nun beside them voiced her admiration.
"That's right... Not to mention that we Rogue Cultivators normally cannot obtain true methods. Some even rashly rely on medicinal pills to Break Realm, leaving their magical power impure and mixed. They are simply ten times inferior to those orthodox sects of the Daoist tradition... Moreover, without guidance, they cultivate spells recklessly in the Gang Sha Realm, directly severing their path to divine abilities." The White Bone Scholar sighed wistfully. "Divine abilities are formed from combinations of spells and talismans, and they follow their own fixed patterns... Those who covet powerful arts and recklessly cultivate a hodgepodge of Daoist Arts may reach the peak of the Gang Sha Realm, yet their cultivation lacks a system. Unable to form a divine ability, they have no hope of advancing for the rest of their lives... We Rogue Cultivators have suffered more than enough on this account."
As soon as he said this, Old Crow and Sword Wielder Lu's expressions changed drastically. "We humbly ask Senior for your guidance."
Zhong Shenxiu maintained an air of calm detachment on the surface, but inwardly he was deeply alarmed. As expected... There are still so many pitfalls in cultivating Daoist Arts. If I broke through on my own, I might end up buried alive.
The White Bone Scholar swept his gaze around and smiled. "Today, I'll explain it to you. Consider it your opportunity... After the Gang Sha Realm comes divine abilities: Consuming Nine Yin, Swallowing Eight Yangs, and then the Seven Locking Arts!"
"The number 'seven' both represents the maximum of seven divine abilities a cultivator can form and represents the grades of divine abilities. The predecessors left behind standards of appraisal, dividing all the divine abilities under Heaven into seven grades. The higher the grade, the greater the hope of forming a core... Of course, you won't have the luxury of worrying about that. The threshold of forming divine abilities will already eliminate a great many people. You have only seventeen innate spells to work with. Some Rogue Cultivators lack an inheritance, so none of their spells can be properly paired; some even conflict with one another. In the end, they cannot piece together a single divine ability. How could they advance into the divine-ability realm?"
"As for how these spells must be combined to transform into a divine ability, those are the true inheritances of each sect."
"If a Rogue Cultivator greedily seeks breadth, then none of their seventeen spells will have the experience of previous divine-ability cultivators to draw upon. They will either have to cripple their entire cultivation and start over, or deduce it themselves, extending a new divine ability from their existing spells. That requires a talent blessed by Heaven."
"That is why I say Rogue Cultivators have it so hard. If they lack guidance from the very beginning, they cannot compare with the true disciples of the Daoist sects, who proceed step by step and forge an unrivaled foundation. After reaching the divine-ability realm, the gap will only grow wider."
Before you continue