Chapter 137: Annihilate the Divine Martial Gate!

The Holy Sect, reaching into the sea of clouds.

Thirty years ago, when Lü Yang had just taken over, the Xianshan had still been deathly still; now it was a hubbub of voices, with disciples coming and going between inside and out at every moment.

All this was the achievement of Patriarch Tingyou.

During Lü Yang's closed-door cultivation, he had taken it upon himself with great vigor to shoulder the task of reviving the Wugui Dao, recruiting quite a number of disciples, which was how this kind of momentum had been built up.

By now, this Xianshan had also gained a new name.

【Lufeng Mountain】

Although the re-established Wugui Dao was located within the Holy Sect, so there was no longer any need to worry about a Jin Dan sword qi slashing over, Patriarch Tingyou was truly terrified.

So in the end, Patriarch Tingyou still chose to rebrand and go public, changing the name, and even did not dare to pass down the most precious Zheng San Pin true art of the former Wugui Dao—after all, that Zheng San Pin true art corresponded to the fruit position 【Wall Earth】, and was simply too likely to attract the hostility of that True Monarch of the Sword Pavilion.

Besides this, there was another matter that gave Patriarch Tingyou a headache.

Just then, a beam of celestial light suddenly descended from beyond the sea of clouds, shining into Lufeng Mountain, and finally transformed into a richly dressed youth who stepped out from within it.

Almost at the same time, Patriarch Tingyou sensed it and, together with Su Nü, intercepted him.

Seeing this, the visitor slightly raised his brows and got straight to the point: "Where is Duanmu Yuan Tu?"

Patriarch Tingyou shook his head: "Why the rush, Daoist Friend Yu? The True Person is currently in closed-door cultivation condensing his Natal, and cannot be disturbed. Please ask the Daoist friend to go back."

This was the matter—or rather, the person—that gave Patriarch Tingyou a headache.

This person was named 【Yu Shu】, a True Person of the Holy Sect, who had attained the Dao a hundred years ago, and was said to be a member of a major faction within the Holy Sect.

And starting ten years ago, this True Person had found Lufeng Mountain, repeatedly requesting to meet Lü Yang, and had been turned away by Patriarch Tingyou every time. In just ten years he had come four times, and each time more impatient than the last. Now it was the fifth time, and judging by his expression, it seemed he was about to be unable to be held back any longer.

"Condensing his Natal?"

Yu Shu glanced at the great hall behind Patriarch Tingyou and frowned: "How easy is it to condense a Natal? Have Duanmu Yuan Tu come out of seclusion to meet me first."

"I have important matters to discuss."

Patriarch Tingyou now regarded Lü Yang as virtually the sole hope of the Wugui Dao—how could he be willing? He immediately shook his head: "Please ask Daoist Friend Yu to wait a few more years."

At these words, Yu Shu finally lost his patience.

"Wait a few more years? I've already waited ten years. Natal divine abilities depend entirely on comprehension—if closed-door cultivation alone could bring breakthroughs, the world would already be full of them!"

Thinking of himself, a scion of the Cheng Tian Gang, having broken through to Foundation Establishment over eighty years ago, only to have recovered from the injuries of that breakthrough by now, with his Natal divine ability still nowhere in sight, let alone seeking out the Cheng Tian Gang Earth Fiends to break through to mid Foundation Establishment—how could cultivation possibly be that easy?

Besides, his own matter was undoubtedly more urgent.

It concerned whether 【City Wall Earth】 could reappear in the mortal world, and whether his branch could recast the glory of 【Cheng Tian Gang】—how could they waste time like this any longer?

"Step aside!"

The next second, Yu Shu strode forward, intending to go straight to Lü Yang. But the moment he made a move, Su Nü had already blocked him.

"A mere servant girl with a fake Foundation Establishment, and you dare block me?"

Yu Shu gave a cold smile, swayed his body, and immediately pure qi and radiant light drifted out from the crown of his head, transforming into a luminous shadow with a white body and black markings, a tiger's frame and a lion's head.

At the same time, behind Su Nü, the 【Yanmo Hall】 materialized.

"Boom—!"

The two Dao foundations collided, spiritual energy surged, and Su Nü's figure even staggered, nearly falling to the ground. The 【Yanmo Hall】 had already begun to show signs of decline.

Seeing this, Patriarch Tingyou frowned tightly. His form flashed and he immediately plunged into the 【Yanmo Hall】. With a hand seal, the Ten Thousand Spirits Banner materialized in his grasp. The banner fluttered in the wind, and tens of thousands of yin soldiers and ghost generals marched out in formation, empowering the 【Yanmo Hall】. For a moment, yin fiendish ghost qi shot straight up into the heavens.

"Demons and monsters, petty ghost arts."

Seeing this, the look on Yu Shu's face grew even more displeased: "Why is everyone around Duanmu Yuan Tu this sort of filthy thing? It only drags down his own standing."

At these words, Patriarch Tingyou's face immediately showed anger.

He did not mind Yu Shu's disparagement of himself—he had cultivated for a thousand years and was long past being moved by honor or disgrace. What truly angered him was Yu Shu's previous sentence.

"My Wugui Dao is petty ghost arts?"

Patriarch Tingyou gave a cold laugh, a glint of grim coldness suddenly flashing through his eyes. Then his hand seal shifted, as if he were about to employ some fearsome technique.

But the next second, he paused slightly.

Immediately after, Patriarch Tingyou dispersed the hand seal and said calmly: "Daoist friend, you'd best leave quickly, or it won't look good for you later."

Yu Shu scoffed: "Leave? I won't leave today until I see Duanmu Yuan Tu."

Before the words had faded, suddenly the heavens spun and the earth turned, the stars shifted and objects changed, the surrounding scenery collapsed with a roar, replaced by an immeasurable expanse of void and darkness.

By the time Yu Shu came back to his senses, he found that he had, at some unknown point, landed inside a vast, empty great hall. Su Nü and Patriarch Tingyou, who had just been clashing with him, had already retracted their auras and were quietly standing attendance beside a meditation cushion, upon which sat a handsome young Daoist.

The man's features were handsome, his brows and eyes radiant with spirit, and a kindly smile played upon his face.

Though no aura manifested at all, the sensation he gave Yu Shu remained as vast and heavy as mountains and seas, and a single glance from him revealed a bearing of natural, unhurried elegance.

Yet the most extraordinary thing was the man's brow.

A circular mark of light was carved at the very center of his brow. At first glance there was nothing remarkable about it, but when Yu Shu looked closely, his eyes were filled with blazing white radiance.

In the blink of an eye, scalding hot tears streamed down Yu Shu's face.

"You!?"

Yu Shu instinctively stepped back, circulated his magic power, and dispelled the white light from his eyes, no longer daring to look at Lü Yang's brow. An expression of disbelief appeared on his face.

This wasn't right!

A True Person who had only been at Foundation Establishment for thirty years—even with a perfect Foundation Establishment, and without needing to spend time healing—should not possess such extraordinary means!

Thinking of this, Yu Shu's pupils suddenly contracted: "You've condensed your Natal?"

"Daoist friend, you've already seen me." Lü Yang's expression was calm. He paid Yu Shu no heed, merely tapping his fingertips lightly and saying offhandedly: "Take care on your way. I won't see you out."

Yu Shu's expression shifted slightly at the words: "Wait—"

The next second, blazing white majestic light drowned his vision, and only then did he realize belatedly: Lü Yang had not been negotiating with him at all—he had simply acted!

Boom—!

After a single explosive sound, Yu Shu's figure vanished within the radiant light, like sparks extinguished one by one by a gust of fierce wind, without stirring the slightest ripple.

A Foundation Establishment True Person certainly could not be killed so easily, but after being sent off by this Natal divine ability of his, he wouldn't be able to come back for quite some time either.

Only then did Lu Yang turn around and look toward the other side of the great hall.

And there, at some unknown time, a cushion had appeared, upon which sat a youth with a gloomy expression, gazing at Lu Yang in astonishment.

"Greetings, Senior Brother Yinshan," Lu Yang said, cupping his hands in salute.

"Greetings, Junior Brother Duanmu Yuan Tu."

True Person Yinshan did not neglect the courtesy; he returned the salute with cupped hands, then scrutinized Lu Yang carefully, a trace of emotion and envy showing in his eyes:

"Junior Brother, your talent is extraordinary. In merely thirty years, you have condensed your True Origin, and breaking through to the mid-stage is now within sight."

"I cannot compare to Senior Brother."

Lu Yang shook his head: "Senior Brother, from Foundation Establishment to advancing your cultivation further, you too spent only a few decades, yet you are far faster than I."

"I am different."

True Person Yinshan shook his head, sighed, but said no more, nor did he ask what True Origin Lu Yang had condensed. Instead, he changed the subject:

"Since Junior Brother has achieved success, you can just make it in time for the recent major event. Senior Brother Chongguang's hard work will not have been in vain."

"Oh? What event?" Lu Yang asked curiously.

"The matter of the Divine Martial Gate in the Northern Frontier."

True Person Yinshan's voice returned to calm, yet a hint of killing intent permeated his words: "Boiling a frog in warm water for thirty years; it is time to bring it to the table and share the feast."

"Thirty years ago, we ambushed and killed the Gate Master of the Divine Martial Gate at Skull Mountain."

"Of the Divine Martial Gate's Foundation Establishment members, only a handful escaped back to the Northern Frontier, all severely injured and beyond healing. We left them alive for thirty years to cultivate disciples."

"Now, they can serve as a whetstone for Junior Brother."

"Senior Brother Chongguang has secured an opportunity for you to lead the extermination of the Divine Martial Gate. How much merit and fortune you can seize depends entirely on your ability."

"If all goes smoothly, and you gather enough fortune and merit in one stroke, Junior Brother, you can then venture out to seek a Cheng Tian Gang or a Di Sha, planning for your future breakthrough to the mid-stage!"

(End of this chapter)