Chapter 123: Daoist Sect Lineage, Immortal Family! Searching for the Evil God

Chu Chaoran, a living True Person of the present age, has already realized the Limitless Pure Yang Dao.

In the age of the end of the Dharma, for practitioners, that is a high mountain, a star, a sea, a living immortal.

The status of such a disciple's weight can be imagined.

However, the name Zhang Fan was extremely unfamiliar to everyone.

If it weren't for the words coming from Xuanjizi, wearing the title of Chaoran's disciple, I'm afraid he would only be treated as a liar.

"Master Chaoran's disciple?"

"He is actually Master Chaoran's disciple?"

In the hall, there was an uproar. Everyone's gaze fell on Zhang Fan, filled with three parts curiosity and seven parts surprise.

"Master Chu's disciple?" Hua Yixun's gaze condensed like a line, staring at Zhang Fan, looking up and down, as if wanting to see through him.

"Impossible, Master Chaoran's closing disciple is Xia Weisheng..."

Just at this moment, Gu

"Presumptuous."

Before the words had even faded, Hua Yixun let out a sharp, thunderous shout, his piercing gaze instantly darting over, causing the somewhat uncomposed Gu Jingqiu to immediately shut his mouth.

Such remarks from him were tantamount to questioning Xuanjizi, and as a disciple of Laoshan, it was a breach of etiquette.

"Unexpected... unexpected..."

Hua Yixun whispered in a solemn voice, his gaze not shifting from Zhang Fan for even a fraction of a second.

"Since he is a disciple of True Person Chu, he must be a startling dragon among men."

Hua Yixun also knew that while the ten great Daoist mountains of the world had disciples with fame abroad—such as Xia Weisheng of Zhenwu Mountain, An Wuyang of Zhongnan Mountain, and the likes of Qi Delong and Qi Dongqiang of Laojun Mountain—there were also successors who remained unknown, being secretly cultivated.

Just like their Laoshan, they also had disciples in the Wang Xuanmiao Gate who had yet to make a name for themselves in the mortal world.

"You've really shown your face."

Jiang Hu leaned over to Zhang Fan's side and whispered.

Just a moment ago, Zhang Fan had instantly become the focus of the entire venue; in such an occasion, being able to garner such attention was truly rare.

"Is that my face being shown?" Zhang Fan rolled his eyes, subconsciously looking toward the high-and-mighty Xuanjizi.

He knew that the reason everyone was so concerned was not because of him, but because of Chu Chaoran.

It was just that Zhang Fan couldn't quite understand why Xuanjizi would want to make him the focus of everyone's attention on such an occasion; that introduction just now seemed a bit too revealing.

"Open the jar and request the seal!"

Just at this moment, Xuanjizi waved the horsetail whisk in his hand, and a soft shout rang out leisurely, pulling everyone's thoughts over.

The horsetail whisk is for brushing away the rolling red dust, opening the Dharma altar, seeking one's true self, and reaching the Heavenly Court to hear of immortal fruits.

Hum...

The sound of bells rang out, incense curled, and on the altars in the four directions, the Daoist priests led by Zhong Changming formed seals with their hands, chanting words, while long flames burned fiercely before them, glowing brightly and never extinguishing.

At the same time, an ancient earthen jar was carried by two young Daoist acolytes to the front of Xuanjizi.

Hum...

Xuanjizi flicked his finger, and a spark of fire leaped from the red candle, landing on the talisman sealing the mouth of the tattered earthen jar.

"The Supreme One establishes the teachings to preach the Dharma, all sentient beings hear the Dao and chime. Tonight I enter this gate, the Southern Star shines and the Big Dipper is bright..."

Xuanjizi chanted, and suddenly, inside the great hall, a nameless wind arose, blowing the precious candles, shaking the faint fragrance, and as a few glimmers of golden light appeared, a precious box opened.

Hum...

The precious box in front of Xuanjizi opened, and an ancient, simple golden seal appeared before everyone's eyes—palm-sized, round, with golden light restrained, its surface bearing the mottled marks of time, and a sense of vicissitudes rising spontaneously.

"Dragon-Tiger Dharma Seal... Is this the 【Majestic Spirit Demon-Suppressing Golden Seal】 that the Zhang family of Long Hu gifted to Xuanmiao Temple back then?"

Hua Yixun's eyes lit up fiercely; as a Laoshan Daoist, he had naturally heard of the prestige of the Long Hu Mountain Dharma seals, and had heard even more about this 【Majestic Spirit Demon-Suppressing Golden Seal】 of Xuanmiao Temple.

At this very moment, he could feel a nameless energy flowing around this ancient seal, pulling at the energy within the entire great hall; the flickering candlelight seemed to face the same direction, and the rising incense surged toward the same spot.

"Majestic Spirit Demon-Suppressing Golden Seal... That is a Dharma seal from Long Hu Mountain."

"Among Daoist ritual implements, the Dragon-Tiger Dharma seal is known as peerless... Nine times of 【Breaking Mountains and Destroying Temples】, who knows how many Wu Wei demon-people it has executed, and how many mountain and sea demons and ghosts it has suppressed."

"The Zhang family of Long Hu Mountain is known as the sect of the Daoist gate, an immortal family... Since the great calamity of the Daoist gate eighty years ago, this lineage has become an echo, I never thought I would see a Dragon-Tiger Dharma seal in my lifetime."

Different voices rang out in everyone's hearts, and fervent gazes were cast one after another upon the palm-sized golden seal.

Happening to be here, for everyone standing in this great hall today, being able to see this golden seal was fate, was good fortune.

At this moment, even Zhang Fan's eyes were fixed on that golden seal without blinking.

He felt a sudden impulse, and for some reason, a strange feeling arose in his heart, as if reuniting with an old friend after a long absence, a wild joy hard to calm.

"The Zhang family of Long Hu Mountain... In nearly two thousand years of time, besides those five 【Ancestral Seals】, they only forged sixty-three Dharma seals, inscribed with the Heavenly Decree, 'By the order of the Supreme Lord Lao, act with the speed of the law'."

Gu Jingqiu gripped his hands tightly, staring fixedly at the golden seal, his mind fluttering, almost unable to control himself.

Since ancient times, of ten Daoists in the world, nine are surnamed Zhang, and one is surnamed Li.

The Zhang here is the Zhang of Long Hu Mountain.

For practitioners of the Dao in the world, that is a mountain that cannot be ignored and cannot be surpassed, pressing down on the human world for nearly two thousand years.

The Dao began in the primordial, but flourished at Long Hu; this lineage is peerless in heaven and earth.

It is just that eighty years have passed since the great calamity of the Daoist gate, and the incense of the Long Hu Zhang family has been cut off; for the young people of today, this surname is closer to legend, ethereal and unknowable.

Rumble...

Just at this moment, a violent sound came from outside the great hall, accompanied by a sinister and treacherous aura.

"Demon aura!?"

"Bold monster, how dare you act fiercely in Xuanmiao Temple!?"

Everyone was shocked, never expecting that tonight, with experts gathered in the temple, requesting seals and refining spirits, there would still be monsters daring to disturb; it was simply not knowing life from death.

"Shi Shougong? It's his aura..."

Sui Brother Chunsheng and Zhan Xinyue looked at each other and felt that the surging demon aura was extremely familiar; it was clearly Shi Shougong, who had intercepted them that night.

"Besides him... there is another demon aura, it seems even more powerful," Jiang Hu frowned and said in a deep voice.

"I'll trouble you, little friend Hua."

Xuanjizi's expression remained as usual, as if everything was within his expectations; requesting seals and refining spirits is no small matter, how could it be all smooth sailing, and how could there be no calamities descending?

"Eliminating demons and defending the Dao is our duty!"

Hua Yixun nodded, stepped out, and a wild wind swept up; he left the temple gate, and at the same time, several experts from Xuanmiao Temple also followed in pursuit.

Zhang Fan remained calm, sensing that the two demon auras outside the temple gate did not linger, but fled in different directions at the first opportunity.

Rumble...

Just at this moment, on the Dharma altar, that ancient earthen jar suddenly shook violently, cracks appeared on its surface, and a terrifying, indescribable aura was about to burst forth, as if something was about to crawl out from inside.

Hum...

Just at this moment, Xuanjizi formed seals with his hands, stepped on the Heavenly Dipper, and chanted...

A high chant of the Heavenly Capital's name brought the Dharma seal to manifest its majestic spirit. The luster on the surface of the ancient golden seal seemed to become more and more refined; if viewed with the primordial spirit, one could see brilliant golden light manifesting, like a gushing spring, continuously pouring into that tattered earthen jar.

Rumble...

Just at this moment, a strange fluctuation arose and vanished within the great hall.

"This is..."

Zhang Fan's heart trembled, and he felt his primordial spirit leave his body, arriving in a mystical realm where high mountains stood before him, idle clouds drifted, and white cranes chirped.

"External Scene!?"

"This is an External Scene?"

"The Dragon-Tiger Dharma seal is indeed mysterious and unpredictable, actually stirring our primordial spirits to enter an External Scene illusion?"

At this moment, not only Zhang Fan, but Gu Jingqiu, Jiang Hu, Sui Brother Chunsheng, Zhan Xinyue... and even Xuanjizi's primordial spirit had all entered this strange External Scene.

The Majestic Spirit Demon-Suppressing Golden Seal is a Dragon-Tiger Dharma seal, mysterious and incomparable, best at suppressing demons.

What is a demon? All phenomena are illusions, transformed by the consciousness; if the heart does not move, seeing is like not seeing, and they naturally vanish, with no realm to become a demon.

If thoughts arise, great demons must be born.

"Here... is this Long Hu Mountain?"

Amidst the hazy mist, Xuanjizi looked at the towering mountain before him, his gaze blurred, murmuring softly.

The Majestic Spirit Demon-Suppressing Golden Seal had been hidden in Xuanmiao Temple for a hundred years, but such a thing had never happened before: the birth of an external realm, suddenly seeing Long Hu.

Clang... Clang... Clang...

Just at this moment, a faint bell chime rang out, and as primordial spirits observed, they saw an ancient, tattered Daoist temple appear before their eyes amidst the hazy mist.

That Daoist temple was desolate and dilapidated, the door plaque had collapsed, and a great seal was actually enshrined on the altar inside the temple.

"Majestic Spirit Demon-Suppressing Golden Seal!?"

Everyone was astonished; the golden seal enshrined on the altar was huge, more than three meters tall, but its entire body had already petrified, dim and dilapidated, with mottled cracks visible everywhere.

Clang... Clang... Clang...

The deafening bell chimes became even louder, echoing between heaven and earth, resounding within the mountains and rivers.

Suddenly, the candle fire before the altar flared up, but no incense was burning in the tripod furnace.

"When the Dharma seal manifests, it should receive incense."

Just at this moment, the hazy mist surged, and a primordial spirit was about to emerge, chanting words; it actually walked to the altar, picked up the sacrificial incense, brought it to the candle fire, and was about to light it for worship.

"This is Gu Jingqiu... Gu Jingqiu of Laoshan, his aura is pure and natural, faintly hiding the divine radiance of the moon, it is exactly the Golden Toad Gazing at the Moon technique of Laoshan."

Someone whispered, recognizing that primordial spirit.

At this moment, everyone was trapped in the External Scene, their primordial spirits like falling into hazy mist, seeing each other like blurred masses, unable to see the truth, but able to distinguish their origins from their auras.

Whoosh...

A strange thing happened: no matter what, Gu Jingqiu could not light the sacrificial incense in his hand; the flickering firelight seemed like a mere decoration.

"The incense is cut off... the incense is cut off... could it be that we cannot light this incense or worship this seal!?"

A mass of primordial spirit leaped out, picked up the sacrificial incense, brought it to the candle fire, and wanted to light it.

"Let's try too."

Primordial spirits leaped out one after another, following the pattern, picking up sacrificial incense one after another, wanting to light it and worship.

However, the sacrificial incense in their hands seemed unable to be lit, showing no reaction at all in the firelight.

"It really is that the incense is cut off..."

"The Zhang family of Long Hu Mountain has cut off its incense... this Dharma seal is destined to have no worship, vanishing into the mortal world."

"This is fate, this is heaven's will... The Long Hu Zhang family dominated for two thousand years, only to finally become an echo."

Everyone murmured softly, as if having realized something, as if glimpsing the secrets of the Great Dao, everything in the dark having its own destiny.

Rumble...

Just at this moment, a violent vibration came from the altar, layers of stone shells peeled off from the surface of the huge golden seal, and ten thousand rays of golden light shot into the sky, breaking through the dome of the ancient Daoist temple and rushing straight toward the secrets of heaven.

"This... what is going on!?"

"What happened!?"

"The golden seal... the Majestic Spirit Demon-Suppressing Golden Seal... has been summoned..."

Astonished roars rang out before the altar, golden light shining, ten thousand rays of flowing light, majestic power for generations, suppressing demons and wandering...

Under that terrifying pressure, the primordial spirits could no longer hold on, shattering one after another, and were forcibly squeezed out of the External Scene.

At this moment, before the altar, the hazy mist surged, and there was clearly a primordial spirit standing there; he held the sacrificial incense, and it actually had flames rising, the incense lit.

"The Zhang family of Long Hu Mountain..."

Suddenly, a low, hoarse voice rang out leisurely, echoing before the ancient and desolate altar.

"As expected of the Xuanmiao Temple Master... even the power of the Majestic Spirit Demon-Suppressing Golden Seal cannot suppress your primordial spirit..."

Before the altar, Zhang Fan's primordial spirit held the sacrificial incense, bowed respectfully to the reviving huge golden seal, and then inserted it into the tripod furnace.

Hum...

The huge golden seal floated up, its power becoming even more vast, golden light floating, reaching the firmament, startling white clouds to fly, and shaking the earth to rumble.

"Indeed the bone and blood of the Zhang family of Long Hu Mountain... The old Daoist knew what kind of identity Chu Chaoran had; he took a disciple, there must be something fishy..."

Xuanjizi's voice was heavy, like the clashing of weapons, a trace of doubt showing through his shock.

He never thought that eighty years after the great calamity of the Daoist gate, there would still be bloodline of the Long Hu Zhang family left in this world, the Majestic Spirit Dharma seal manifesting an External Scene, and incense continuing the immortal mountain.

"Impossible... it shouldn't be... this lineage should have had its incense cut off... how did you..." Xuanjizi was suspicious and uncertain, asking Zhang Fan's primordial spirit.

"I don't know either."

Zhang Fan shook his head; he was in the External Scene, and although the mystical events he experienced were illusory, they also confirmed the guesses in his heart: his family indeed had an unspeakable, unclear relationship with Long Hu Mountain.

However, right now, he didn't have the heart to think about these things; there were more important things to do.

Whoosh...

Just at this moment, Zhang Fan leaped up, jumped onto the altar, the vast golden light seeming to drape over his body; he formed seals with his hands, chanting, and the Majestic Spirit Demon-Suppressing Golden Seal was summoned, standing suspended in the air, floating three feet above his head, vast power surging and pouring into Zhang Fan's body.

At this moment, he was like having divine help.

"As expected of the Zhang family of Long Hu Mountain, once the thought arises, one can drive the Dharma seal." Xuanjizi's eyes flickered uncertainly.

Just at this moment, Zhang Fan patted his forehead, his primordial spirit like fire leaving the sky, light shining brightly, with illusory shadows leaping inside, actually seeming to have different Zhang Fans.

"This is..."

"Three Corpses Illuminating Fate, Spirit-Splitting Great Dharma!?"

Xuanjizi's eyes widened, simply unable to believe everything he was seeing.

"You... what are you doing?"

(End of chapter)