Founding Patriarch Zhang True Lord

Sun Yougui led two fellow disciples and drove back the evil cultivators riding the yellow clouds. Returning to the little temple, they each flicked their whisk, and Hu Chimei rolled out from the Ten-Thousand Ghost Formation.

Seeing the shrieking fiendish ghosts all around and the three elders of the evil sect eyeing him like tigers watching prey, he immediately said bluntly, "Ask whatever you wish. Hu will surely tell all he knows and leave nothing unsaid, asking only for a way to live."

Sun Yougui asked, "The Celestial Stele at Little Cold Mountain truly is Langhuan?"

Hu Chimei answered without hesitation, "This is no longer an exclusive secret. News has already spread from other sources; sooner or later, its truth can be verified."

Sun Yougui's heart surged, and he asked again, "Do you know how to break Langhuan's innate formation?"

Hu Chimei burst out laughing. "If I knew how to take Langhuan away, why would I spread this news? Taking Langhuan for myself and finding a place to study the spells upon it—wouldn't that be the cleverest course?"

Sun Yougui admitted that this great fox demon made perfect sense. If it had been him, and he knew how to take Langhuan away, he would not have told anyone of the stele's origins. He would only have swallowed it whole for himself.

He asked again, "Will the Heavenly Court send someone to take this stele away?"

Hu Chimei smiled. "How could I know that? Even my grandfather could not possibly know such major affairs of the Heavenly Court. But the Heavenly Court is currently being turned upside down by turmoil. I fear it will be some time before they send anyone down."

Sun Yougui's heart leapt. Then doesn't that mean we still have some time? By the time the Heavenly Court sends someone down, we may already have learned all the spells upon it. The Heavenly Court may not necessarily investigate this matter either.

When Yuan Celestial Master leaked the Ruyi Heavenly Register, he was merely seized and imprisoned for thirty-three years. They did not punish his disciples.

The Flying Immortal Sect founded by his disciple has now become one of the nineteen great sects under heaven. Though it cannot compare to the three great Mystic Sects, it has received an imperial edict from the Heavenly Emperor. Disciples who ascend may be selected as immortal officials.

Compared to such a great sect, the Heavenly Corpse Sect is not even fit to carry its shoes. Such an opportunity cannot be lightly missed.

When Hu Chimei saw the changing expressions on Sun Yougui's face and those of the two Heavenly Corpse Sect elders, he knew they had been tempted. He secretly mused, So long as they also want the Langhuan Celestial Stele, they will not kill me. How could I seize the Celestial Stele alone? I must have someone to help me.

These people think I am a rare commodity, useful for gathering intelligence, yet they do not know that I can also use them to pluck chestnuts from the fire for myself.

Sun Yougui flicked his whisk and placed a restriction upon Hu Chimei. He shouted, "From this day onward, you will follow us. Should you harbor any crooked thoughts, we shall hunt down your soul and refine it into a fiendish ghost."

Hu Chimei repeatedly said he would not dare, but inwardly he gave a cold laugh. How could such side-path spells restrain me? I will pretend to be under their control, then turn against them when it matters.

Wang Chong and Zhu Ying stayed for seven or eight days at Zhu Xiong's secluded estate beneath the water pool.

Little Bug's cultivation advanced at a tremendous pace. He had opened two more apertures of spirit, leaving only seven or eight acupoints before the first stage of the Dragon-Subduing Great Circuit reached completion.

Driven by Wang Chong, Zhu Ying also threw herself into rigorous cultivation.

Neither Zhu Xiong nor Lu Xuansheng had returned, but Xiao Nan emerged from seclusion. He was greatly excited afterward, having gained enormously from this retreat. Not only had he refined all five magical treasures, but he had also gained a preliminary grasp of the Profound Lantern Record he had obtained.

After asking about Wang Chong and Zhu Ying's cultivation, he lavishly praised Little Bug and offered Zhu Ying much encouragement as well.

Xiao Nan had long noticed that Zhu Ying regarded Wang Chong somewhat differently. There is no need to wait until Chong'er completes the first Qi Refining Great Circuit. Taking one disciple is taking disciples; taking two is the same. It would also be no small favor to the old Dragon King. Better to have them acknowledge me as their master sooner rather than later.

Afraid that someone might snatch away Wang Chong, his treasured disciple, Xiao Nan overturned his previous plan. As soon as he emerged from seclusion, he set up an incense table and said to the two of them, "Originally, it is not yet time for me to accept disciples. But it is rare for me to share such affinity with the two of you, so I am willing to break the sect rules and take you as disciples."

Knowing some of the Five-Terrace Sect's rules, Zhu Ying thought, Master truly values Brother Chong.

Xiao Nan hung seven portraits behind the incense table. Pointing to them, he said, "The portrait in the center is our Five-Terrace Sect's founding patriarch, Zhang True Lord."

"The portrait on the left is Sa Celestial Master, the second-generation patriarch of our Five-Terrace Sect. The portrait on the right is our third-generation patriarch; there is no need to mention his honored name."

Little Bug stole a glance. Patriarch Zhang True Lord was dressed like a martial general, clad in helmet and armor. A blue-maned lion crouched beneath him, magnificent and imposing, while behind him stood a great gold-tipped cudgel.

Sa Celestial Master, however, was dressed as a proper Daoist. More than ten white apes surrounded him, some offering peaches and fruits, some holding wine jars, all leaping about in joy. Two treasured swords were slanted across his back, their hilts rising over his shoulders.

The third-generation patriarch presented yet another sight, even grander than the first two patriarchs. Seated upon a cloud carriage, he was surrounded by falling celestial flowers and illuminated by heavenly lamps. Myriad rays of rosy light shone above his head, five-colored auspicious clouds lay beneath his feet, and more than ten magical treasures circled around him, radiant and resplendent.

Pointing at the other four portraits, Xiao Nan said, "These four are the fourth-generation elders of the Five-Terrace Sect: Patriarch Bai Yue of my own lineage, Patriarch Tuotuo, Patriarch Taihun, and Old Patriarch Sikong."

"Your master is a fifth-generation disciple of the Five-Terrace Sect, an inheritor of Patriarch Bai Yue's lineage. By entering under me, you will become sixth-generation disciples of the Five-Terrace Sect."

"From the second-generation patriarch onward, our Five-Terrace Sect had many fellow disciples. At its height, it had more than ten thousand disciples. I will tell you all about them one by one in the future."

"Now, pay respects to the patriarchs!"

As Zhu Ying had entered the sect first, she became the senior sister. Wang Chong had entered later and was younger, so he became the second junior brother.

After the two paid respects to the patriarchs and then to Xiao Nan, Xiao Nan happily bestowed three volumes of Daoist scriptures upon them. "Besides the Primordial Sword Formula, Patriarch Bai Yue left behind two further Daoist scriptures. Since you have entered this sect, these scriptures shall be passed to you in advance."

"However, the latter two volumes bear restrictions of my mana. Unless you cultivate the Primordial Sword Formula to the great completion of the fifth Great Circuit, you may not read them."

Zhu Ying and Wang Chong thanked their master, both of them overjoyed.

After putting away the incense table, Xiao Nan was also immensely pleased. He told his two disciples a few things about the Five-Terrace Sect.

"Though our Five-Terrace Sect has declined somewhat, it remains one of the nineteen great sects under heaven that possess an imperial edict from the Heavenly Emperor. Disciples who ascend may be selected as immortal officials."

"If you cultivate diligently, then after ascending in the future, you will hold official posts and will not be comparable to ordinary wandering immortals."

Little Bug did not know how precious an official post was, but Zhu Ying understood its importance. She secretly thought, Third Brother was taken in by an Arhat of the Western Lands as a mount, yet to this day he has not been granted an official post or righteous fruition. It is because his origins are poor and his foundations insufficient.

Father hoped that I could enter the Five-Terrace Sect for precisely this reason. Now, his wish has been fulfilled.