Chapter 251: The bright moon of yesteryear still remains; when will it shine again to light the return of the colorful clouds

The Long Hu Zhang family, a family of immortals.

This lineage has been a single line for a thousand years, peerless through the ages; the person in the painting is Zhang Taixu, the last Three Tian Shi of Long Hu Mountain.

He was also the final glory of the Long Hu Zhang family, truly the last great unifier.

From then on, the Long Hu Zhang family split into northern and southern branches, tempering their light and mingling with the dust, never again recovering their former glory.

"Eighty years ago, after the Great Daoist Calamity, Zhang Taixu once stayed in the southeast; when he was in Huizhou Province, he was a guest at our Qin family home." Qin Ming spoke in a low, heavy voice, yet his eyes revealed a trace of arrogance.

The Long Hu Zhang family is known as a family of immortals.

As the last Three Tian Shi, Zhang Taixu's status was self-evident; he could be called the leader of Daoism and the head of the Profound Gate.

One must know that in that year, the Three Corpses Daoist's 【Three Corpses Fate-Illuminating】 was already perfected, and he sat firmly in the position of the Wu Wei Sect leader, invincible across the world.

At that time, Chu Chaoran was merely a youth of great promise, his wings not yet fully grown; looking across the world, the only person capable of standing toe-to-toe with the Three Corpses Daoist was this last Three Tian Shi, Zhang Taixu.

"Zhang Taixu..."

Back then, the last post made by the thousand-year-old demon before deactivating their account specifically mentioned this person.

The thousand-year-old demon clearly stated in the post that eighty years ago, during the Great Daoist Calamity, it was not only Chu Chaoran who truly survived on the Long Hu Mountain altar, but five people in total.

Zhang Taixu was one of those five.

"The inscription on this painting was left by this last Three Tian Shi," Qin Ming said in a deep voice.

This is the foundation of the Qin family. After the Great Daoist Calamity, the gates of Long Hu Mountain were closed tight, and no incense was lit again. Zhang Taixu passed through Huizhou Province, and the Qin family, representing Qi Yun Mountain, hosted this leader of Daoism.

"Does this painting depict the scene of him leaving Long Hu Mountain?" Zhang Fan was lost in thought.

Under the bright moon in the clear sky, at the foot of Long Hu Mountain, this last Three Tian Shi left his homeland and buried his Dharma lineage.

In his eyes, it seemed there was only that grand calamity, only that disintegration, only that turmoil in the world; from then on, the name of the Long Hu Zhang family existed no more.

"Where are the drifting blue clouds now? I only remember the moon in the center of the sky that year!"

With just these words, one could likely discern the state of mind of that last Three Tian Shi when he left Long Hu Mountain.

At this moment, everyone remained silent, seemingly infected by the unique temperament of the figure in the green shirt in the painting.

"Brother Daoist Qin, since the last Three Tian Shi once stayed at the Qin family home, did he leave behind any teachings? For example, regarding the Great Daoist Calamity."

As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere at the scene changed instantly, like wind and fire swaying; even Song Yunqi and Ji Huanshan, who were walking over from afar, could not help but reveal strange expressions.

The Great Daoist Calamity is a public case that the Daoist sects of the world have been unable to bypass since ancient times.

However, such old matters are never lightly mentioned, not even by the venerable Pure Yang Zhenren.

"The Great Daoist Calamity, that is too far away..." Qin Ming shook his head and said, "Even if something was said, it would not have been passed down."

Eighty years ago, his father, Qin Wangdu, had not even been born, and his grandfather was only about six or seven years old.

At that time, it was Qin Ming's great-grandfather who hosted Zhang Taixu.

Separated by so many generations, even if there were any clues, they likely wouldn't have been passed down. And taking a step back, even if some words were truly passed down, how could Qin Ming speak of them to outsiders in such a public setting!?

"Let's go, the guest rooms have already been prepared for everyone."

Qin Ming walked in front and made a gesture of invitation.

Zhang Fan withdrew his gaze from the ancient painting and followed Qin Ming's footsteps.

The group walked further and further away, only Zhang Wang remained standing before the painting, looking at the person in the painting, the mountains in the painting, the moon in the painting... his gaze unfocused and blurred.

"Where are the drifting blue clouds now? I only remember the moon in the center of the sky that year..."

"The bright moon of yesteryear still remains; when will it shine again to light the return of the colorful clouds?"

Zhang Wang murmured softly, his expression returning to normal, and he turned to follow the footsteps of Zhang Fan and the others.

The night grew deep.

In the Qin family mansion, in a side hall.

In the center, lying horizontally inside a crystal coffin was a figure; it was none other than the most stunning disciple in the history of the Qin family, Qin Wangsun.

At this moment, his breathing was weak and long, his long hair draped loosely, as if it hadn't been groomed for over twenty years.

Silver needles were pierced into thirty-six major acupoints on his limbs and torso, while his glabella was sealed with a long golden needle.

"This set of Arctic Celestial Magnetic Method was personally passed down by the founder; perhaps we can rely on this method to find the treasure land where the previous generation's Human Xiao went into seclusion." Qin Wangdu looked at his younger brother, who had been asleep for twenty years, and could not help but let out a sigh.

Heaven and earth have magnetic poles, and every person also has a magnetic field within them.

This technique can activate the body's self-generated magnetic field; once it overlaps with the trajectory of the past, a resonance will be born between them.

In other words, the current Qin Wangsun has been refined into a radio receiver; only by bringing him into Fangya Mountain and finding the place with the strongest signal will we find the place where the Human Xiao of that year went into seclusion.

"Father..."

Just at this moment, Qin Ming walked in, subconsciously looking at Qin Wangsun lying in the crystal coffin.

He could perceive that the blood energy within his uncle's body seemed to have become active again, as if water had been re-injected into a dried-up waterway.

However, Qin Ming knew very well that this was merely a flash of brilliance before death, forcibly activating that last trace of vitality with the 【Arctic Celestial Magnetic Method】.

Once the place where the previous generation's Human Xiao went into seclusion is found, Qin Wangsun will likely also be exhausted.

This could also be considered his final contribution to the Qin family.

"Have those two little brats been brought back?" Qin Wangdu asked in a deep voice.

"They have been brought back," Qin Ming said in a deep voice. "Their level of cultivation can still be easily manipulated."

In his view, the cultivation of Fang Changle and Zhang Fan might be passable, but their experience was too shallow.

As the saying goes, a strong dragon does not suppress a local snake; once in the territory of Huizhou Province, isn't it the Qin family that calls the shots!?

If they dared to stir up trouble without understanding this point, that is simply seeking death!

"Does the death of that degenerate have anything to do with these two?" Qin Wangdu asked in a deep voice.

"Father, you should be able to see that the person did it too cleanly; soul-aspect out-of-body, killing from a distance—unless caught on the spot, it is very difficult to have actual evidence to convict them," Qin Ming said indifferently.

"Since that is the case..." A cold, sharp look flashed in Qin Wangdu's eyes.

"I understand Father's meaning; if they were ordinary small characters, of course, it would be better to punish wrongly than to let go..."

At this point, Qin Ming paused slightly before continuing, "But these two are not small characters."

Fang Changle is a descendant of Maoshan, concerning the incense and luck of a lineage, so that goes without saying.

As for Zhang Fan, although his reputation is not prominent, he has quietly cultivated to the Great Being Realm; the status of such natural talent in Zhenwu Mountain is self-evident.

On the second day of the second lunar month next year, the Chaoran Zhenren will take in a closing disciple, and with Zhang Fan's realm, he might also be among the candidates.

Such a person, how can one just kill them whenever one wants?

"Then what do you think?" Qin Wangdu asked calmly.

"Actually, there are no grudges in this world that cannot be resolved; those who achieve great things should have the spirit where even if someone kills your father, you would still want a share of the spoils..." Qin Ming said indifferently.

Qin Wangdu did not speak, the corner of his eye twitching unnaturally.

"Don't say that Qin Shi wasn't killed by them; even if he was, it doesn't matter. If we can win these two over, it would be equivalent to our Qin family offering a letter of intent to Brother Li Changgeng."

A luster of wisdom flashed in Qin Ming's eyes.

In this way, Maoshan would be equivalent to standing on the side of the Bai He lineage; as for Zhang Fan, having the cultivation of the Great Being Realm at such a young age, he will likely have a great say in Zhenwu Mountain in the future.

"You have thought it out well, but what if those two little brats are unwilling to comply?" Qin Wangdu asked in a deep voice.

"If they don't know the times, then they don't know the Heavenly Dao; then Fangya Mountain will be their burial place," Qin Ming said with a light laugh.

"For the sake of Daoist righteousness, for the sake of slaying the demon, they sacrificed themselves; I imagine Maoshan and Zhenwu Mountain wouldn't be able to find any fault. At that time, I will apply to the Daoist Alliance headquarters to send them a large silk banner."

Speaking to this point, the smile on Qin Ming's face grew thicker. "If you really want to do it, you must have absolute certainty," Qin Wangdu reminded.

In such matters, if any survivors are left behind, it will surely lead to endless trouble, and might even bring a catastrophic disaster upon our Qin family.

"The uncle from the sect should be arriving in these two days, so it will be foolproof," Qin Ming said indifferently.

With the combined strength of himself, Song Yunqi, and Ji Huanshan, suppressing Fang Changle and Zhang Fan will have no suspense.

Don't forget, Song Yunqi and Ji Huanshan are not only in the Great Being Realm, but have also awakened heaven-bestowed divine abilities.

Furthermore, for this trip to explore Fangya Mountain, Qi Yun Mountain also has experts coming to assist.

That uncle of Qin Ming is an expert in the 【Zhai Shou】 realm.

"You handle things thoroughly and anticipate opportunities at every turn; our Qin family is destined to flourish." Qin Wangdu nodded, looking at this most outstanding son of his, and could not help but reveal a satisfied expression.

Comparing the two, Qin Shi was indeed a degenerate, and his death is not worth feeling sad or pained over.

"Do as you think best." Qin Wangdu turned around, intending to leave.

【No errors, read the content at a glance!】

"Father, what about uncle..." Qin Ming hesitated to speak.

He knew that Qin Wangdu had deep feelings for this younger brother; for twenty years, he often came to visit alone, sometimes standing there for half a day.

"Sigh, for the elderly, being proud in youth is not necessarily a good thing..."

"Your uncle's life was far too extraordinary. A natural talent in his youth, by the age of twelve he already looked down upon his peers. The title of 'Little Three Tian Shi' made him famous across half of the Jiangnan region. As for later, his opportunities were even more mystical; he encountered a strange master who taught him the Daoist arts..."

"Met a strange person?" Qin Ming raised an eyebrow; this was the first time he had heard of these past events, and he immediately asked, "What kind of strange person?"

"I don't know too clearly either." Qin Wangdu shook his head.

"I only know that over twenty years ago, he met that demoness, fought her several times without losing, and held the upper hand; behind her was the shadow of that person."

"Old stories..."

Qin Wangdu waved his hand and turned back to look at the person lying in the crystal coffin.

"Proud in youth, naturally there will be twists and falls; perhaps this is his calamity."

A sigh fell, and Qin Wangdu stepped out of the cold, empty side hall.

The night grew deep.

Fang Changle walked through the long corridor, looking left and right; seeing no one around, he snuck into Zhang Fan's room.

"Why are you looking for me in the middle of the night?"

"I want to explore the Qin family at night; you protect my Dharma." Zhang Fan spoke in a low, heavy voice.

"You want to perform soul-aspect out-of-body?" Fang Changle hesitated upon hearing this and said, "Be cautious; this is the Qin family, their ancestors produced Celestial Masters. What if there are some treasures hidden..."

Soul-aspect out-of-body is extremely dangerous, and there are some treasures specifically designed to restrain the soul-aspect. If one falls into their trap, it would truly be an eternal disaster.

"Others are the knife and the cutting board, and I am the fish and the meat; I cannot not explore. I will be careful." Zhang Fan had absolute confidence in his own soul-aspect.

"That works too." Fang Changle hesitated for a moment and nodded.

Zhang Fan sat cross-legged and entered meditation; in an instant, his soul-aspect darted out from his glabella.

He restrained his soul-light, appearing ethereal and void, passing directly through the wall and leaving the room.

The Qin family mansion was very large; Zhang Fan did not dare to search casually with his soul-aspect, so he could only wander from room to room.

After wandering for a long time, Zhang Fan's soul-aspect drifted into that cold side hall.

"There is still a person lying here?"

As far as Zhang Fan's gaze could reach, it was none other than Qin Wangsun in the crystal coffin; the latter's body was covered in silver needles, and the golden needle at his glabella was even more eye-catching.

"Who is this person? To be hidden by the Qin family in such a place?"

Zhang Fan was lost in thought; his heart stirred, and he actually performed the "Appearing Together but Spiritually Apart" technique from the Bai He Temple's 【Great Sect Law】.

Hum...

Instantly, Zhang Fan's soul-aspect was like a wisp of green smoke, passing directly through Qin Wangsun's glabella and spirit platform, entering into his inner soul-aspect scene.

Rumble...

Heavenly thunder shook, angry rain crossed the sky; the surroundings were dim and lightless, and one could not see one's fingers.

In this inner soul-aspect scene, the sky was dim, and the earth was dim; it seemed everything had fallen into that endless abyss, and one could no longer see a single trace of light from the human world.

"The Great Night Does Not Brighten!?"

Zhang Fan's heart was shocked; the soul-aspect of the person before him had actually fallen into the Great Night Does Not Brighten. No wonder he was like a living dead person, lying in the crystal coffin.

The Great Night Does Not Brighten is one of the most feared calamities for practitioners of the Dao.

Once the soul-aspect falls into it, it cannot be transcended.

If it were anyone else, entering such an inner scene would likely also fall into the Great Night Does Not Brighten, and the soul-aspect would never be able to leave.

But for Zhang Fan, such an inner scene was a daily occurrence; he had been eating it for ten years.

Clatter...

Just at this moment, in the darkness in the distance, a massive figure seemed to emerge; he was struggling constantly in that darkness, constantly groping...

"That person's soul-aspect!?"

Zhang Fan's heart stirred, and he took a step forward, approaching.

Rumble...

A bolt of thunder tore through the firmament; at this moment, countless light and shadows surged from the darkness toward Zhang Fan. The next moment, he saw the image from that time.

In the dense forest of the green mountains, in front of a pitch-black cave, even the sunlight could not penetrate half an inch into this cave.

Just at this moment, a youth came stepping along the mountain wall; his attire was in the style of over twenty years ago, and his appearance was that of the person lying in the crystal coffin when he was young.

"The skills you taught me are indeed great; this time in the Dharma battle, I suppressed her again." The youth bowed toward the black hole, his face carrying an expression of pride.

"Do not be careless; that woman is not simple. She is practicing, and she is also crossing a calamity..."

Suddenly, a strange sound came from within the black hole; it was impossible to tell if it was male or female, intermittent, as if it were electromagnetic waves.

"She is refining the Demon Aspect, and she is crossing the Human Calamity."

"Besides this, she has a helper, even more remarkable, who will arrive in a few days; that is your great enemy."

The strange voice came again.

"A helper? What kind of helper?" The youth asked curiously.

"The most ferocious in the world, the Divine Demon Sacred Fetus."

Just these eight words made the youth's glabella jump; he looked suspiciously at the pitch-black cave and subconsciously took a step, but after taking only half a step, he hesitated.

"Who exactly are you? Why do you know so much? And you even taught me the method to break the other party's Daoist arts." The youth's gaze dimmed as he voiced the question in his heart.

"Name?"

Inside the cave, the strange voice sounded again, pausing slightly before continuing: "You can call me..."

"Thousand-Year-Old Demon!"

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 252 =====