Confrontation with Ran Deng

"Fellow Daoist Ran Deng, Kunlun Mountain is so vast. Seizing another's cave abode by force is going a bit too far, isn't it?"

Lu Chen fixed his gaze on Ran Deng, a faint smile on his face.

"Heh, fellow Daoist? When I listened to the Dao Ancestor's teachings, you had yet to take form."

Feeling the Great Luo aura emanating from Lu Chen, Ran Deng revealed a disdainful look and spoke arrogantly.

He was of senior standing. Lu Chen's affairs had caused quite a stir back then, so he knew that Lu Chen's Dao Flowers had all shattered and that there was no hope left on his path ahead.

In Ran Deng's eyes, Lu Chen was a cripple, naturally unworthy of his respect.

Had he not known Lu Chen was already a cripple, he truly would not have dared speak so rashly. After all, he had only just joined the Chan Sect, while Lu Chen had long since become Tongtian's disciple. The bond between master and disciple was surely deep.

Meanwhile, he had merely entered Yuanshi's school and had yet to receive an official title.

"A mere Mysterious Immortal—how could she deserve such an excellent cave abode? Hurry and yield it to me."

"Yield it to you?"

The smile on Lu Chen's face gradually faded, and he gave a soft scoff.

"You think you deserve it?"

"You!"

Ran Deng immediately flew into a rage, his eyes turning cold. He had not wished to use his power to oppress others, but now it seemed he had no choice. Even if this reached the Sages, he would still have grounds to argue.

He was a dignified Peak Great Luo, yet he had to huddle away in a cave abode with meager spiritual qi. What kind of spectacle was that? It would damage his reputation if word got out.

Sensing the change in Ran Deng's aura, Lu Chen's expression turned icy.

Ran Deng casually sent out a strand of magical power.

Seeing Lu Chen neither dodge nor evade, Ran Deng showed a cold smile.

Today, he would make Lu Chen see reality clearly: even among Great Luos, there were differences!

Seeing that Ran Deng had truly made a move, Jin Ling's eyes filled with tension.

Ran Deng had been one of the Three Thousand Red Dust Guests back then. Though he had not entered the Quasi-Saint realm, he had remained in the Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal realm for a long time. His foundations were solid and his reserves profound, far beyond those of ordinary peak Great Luos.

As the magical power neared him, Lu Chen moved. He stretched out one hand and crushed it, then followed with a punch. Boundless power of qi and blood surged forth, forming a mighty tiger that pounced toward Ran Deng.

Seeing Lu Chen casually crush his magical power, Ran Deng's face showed a trace of astonishment. When he saw Lu Chen's counterattack, he too raised a hand to block it. Feeling the qi and blood within, even more vigorous than that of an ordinary Witch Clan member, he instinctively summoned the Qiankun Ruler. With one strike, he smashed the tiger apart.

Although Ran Deng had blocked Lu Chen's attack, he had used a magical treasure. The difference in their strength was immediately apparent.

Ran Deng looked at the Qiankun Ruler in his hand, his expression incomparably ugly. He flicked his sleeve and turned to leave.

"Senior Brother is incredible!"

Jin Ling looked at Lu Chen's back, her eyes filled with admiration.

"From now on, this cave abode is yours. If anyone comes to demand it from you again, go find Duobao. If Duobao cannot handle it, come find me."

Lu Chen turned his head and spoke to Jin Ling.

"What a useless thing."

Within Yuqing Palace, Yuanshi's expression was equally grim.

As a Sage, nothing that happened on Kunlun Mountain could escape his eyes. Naturally, he knew that Ran Deng had gone to trouble Jin Ling. Yet he had chosen to watch from the sidelines, because he believed Jin Ling would surely be the one to suffer in the end, not Ran Deng. Who would have thought that Ran Deng, a peak Great Luo, could not defeat Lu Chen and was even forced to bring out a magical treasure by a single blow from him?

What utter humiliation. Not only had Ran Deng embarrassed himself, he had dragged Yuanshi down with him.

After all, Lu Chen and the others might not know Yuanshi's little schemes, but they could not be hidden from Laozi and Tongtian.

"The Martial Dao of the Human Race is rather interesting."

Tongtian sat within the Sword Cave. Seeing the strike Lu Chen had just delivered with qi and blood, a faint smile appeared on his face.

"So the true flaw was not in the Quasi-Saint method, but in the explanation given during that sermon long ago."

After a thousand years of deduction, with the cultivation of a Grand Primordial Luo, Tongtian had already thoroughly comprehended the path of Three Corpses Severance.

He understood why the Three Corpses could not merge into one.

"In a hundred years, I shall teach the Dao at Upper Clarity Palace."

Tongtian's voice spread across all of Kunlun.

Where there were people, there would naturally be gossip.

The matter between Lu Chen and Ran Deng quickly spread throughout Kunlun. All Jie Sect disciples learned that Ran Deng had tried to seize Jin Ling's cave abode, only to be forced back by Lu Chen.

This immediately made the immortals of the Jie Sect stand taller.

Over the next hundred years, everyone occupied and opened up their own cave abodes.

The Three Pure Ones each began their first sermon since accepting disciples, within their respective cave abodes.

Tongtian sat cross-legged upon a meditation cushion. Several thousand cultivators sat in neat rows within the great hall.

Lu Chen sat at the very front, with Duobao beside him. Behind them, arranged according to cultivation, were Jin Ling, Wudang, Guiling, Zhao Gongming, Wuyun Immortal, the Three Xiao Sisters...

Though it was not as grand a flourishing scene as Myriad Immortals Paying Homage, the gathering of several thousand cultivators was still extraordinarily lively.

It directly pushed the fortunes of the newly founded Jie Sect to a lofty level.

"The Dao that can be spoken..."

Tongtian swept his gaze over them and began his sermon. Dao sounds filled the air, and golden lotuses bloomed from the earth.

This sermon had been prepared by Tongtian for the newly initiated disciples, so he expounded upon the path from Heavenly Immortal to Mysterious Immortal.

This was of little use to Lu Chen, who was already a Great Luo, and Duobao, who stood at the peak of the Taiyi Realm.

Tongtian did not make the two of them sit idle. With a point of his finger, he completely transmitted the Shangqing Sword Canon, which he had compiled from his own insights, to them for their contemplation.

The two sat in their places, comprehending the sword canon.

The Shangqing Sword Canon contained numerous immortal arts comprehended by Tongtian. Sword arts made up the greatest portion of it; it could be called a forest of all things, recording every manner of sword formula.

As he comprehended the Shangqing Sword Canon, Lu Chen's Law of the Sword steadily improved.

The sermon ended. The Dao sounds within the palace faded, the golden lotuses vanished, and Jin Ling and the others awoke from their enlightenment.

"Now that the Jie Sect has been established, Lu Chen and Duobao, as my Great Luo disciples, shall be taken into my direct line. Henceforth, they shall be your Eldest Senior Brother and Second Senior Brother. From now on, Lu Chen shall manage the sect's affairs. If there is anything you do not understand regarding cultivation, you may seek your Second Senior Brother Duobao. If you remain puzzled, you may ask Lu Chen or come find me."

"Besides this, I shall divide disciples into direct disciples and outer disciples."

"Lu Chen, Duobao, Jin Ling, Wudang, and Guiling, the five of you shall be my direct disciples."

"Zhao Gongming shall be the chief outer disciple..."

After Tongtian finished speaking, he waved his hand. Streams of spiritual light emerged throughout the great hall, each transforming into a glow that entered the spiritual platforms of the disciples.

"That is all. Return and enter seclusion to digest your insights. Lu Chen, remain behind."

"We obey Master's command!"

Everyone rose, cupped their hands in salute, then turned and departed.

Only Lu Chen and Tongtian remained within Upper Clarity Palace.

Tongtian slowly spoke. "What do you think of teaching without distinction?"

"The disciples are a mixed lot, and most of the sect's disciples are from the Demon Race. On Martial Uncle Yuanshi's side... there may be no issue in the short term, but if we remain together for too long, conflict may arise."

"What you say is not without reason. Then what do you think of leaving Kunlun Mountain and finding another place to establish a Daoist sanctuary?"