Chapter 434: Fujiao Mountain, Xu Changshou! Beyond Heaven Lies Heaven

Xijiang Province, Linchuan City.

In Fujiao Mountain, lush greenery casts deep shade, gentle streams flow beside the mountains, with occasional cicada chirps and bird calls lingering in the air.

“This is a fine place.”

On the narrow mountain path, Zhang Fan and Zhang Wu’s figures slowly materialized, ascending the mountain.

Looking up, they could already overlook half of Fujiao Mountain; at a glance, its shape resembled a broken sword, plunging vertically into the earth’s deep valley, with mist curling around it and dragon-and-tiger motifs vividly apparent, a masterpiece of natural spiritual beauty.

“This is truly a blessed land.”

As they entered the mountain, Zhang Fan’s yuanshen vibrated with subtle shifts, his mind and spirit settling into stillness, all thoughts ceasing—hallmarks of a blessed land.

A blessed land enables ordinary people, even cultivators, to more easily enter states like “constant stillness” and “ultimate emptiness,” aligning their personal magnetic frequency with nature’s, resonating in harmony, even simulating the state of unity between heaven and humanity.

This is the marvel of a blessed land: cultivation here makes yuanshen awakening easier and spiritual progress faster.

In secular terms, such places are qi-rich paradises.

Auspicious beyond measure, an excellent sacred realm.

“Not surprising,” Zhang Wu said. “It’s said that in ancient times, Xu Zu slew a demon dragon here, and thus the mountain got its name.”

Xu Zu was a famed Daoist priest of the Eastern Jin dynasty—the idiom “one man attains the Dao, even chickens and dogs ascend to heaven” refers to him.

He was not only the founder of the Daoist sect [Jingming Sect], but also revered as the Lord by the [Lushan Sect], honored as Lord Xu Zhenjun of Lushan; his achievements and spiritual powers ranked among the very top in the alchemical immortal sects.

“During his lifetime, Xu Zu’s greatest accomplishment was controlling floods,” Zhang Wu murmured.

It is said he traveled the land with his disciples, especially across Hubei and Hunan and the southeast coastal regions, taming floods and slaying ninety-nine dragon-like serpents, earning immense popularity among the common folk.

Thus, in later generations, anyone performing the rite to slay dragons and subdue serpents would invoke Xu Zu’s divine power.

“So there once were dragons here,” Zhang Fan whispered.

In this End Dharma Age, even great dragons have become legendary creatures.

Back then, the demon overlord of the three-thousand-li Qinling Mountains, Yin Pobai, was suspected to be a dragon-turned-demon—a rarity in this age, far more formidable than ordinary great demons, but unfortunately, he died on Zhenwu Mountain.

“It’s said the evil dragon once dwelled here, cultivating True Dragon Dao, stirring up storms and wreaking havoc,” Zhang Wu said coolly.

“But he met Xu Zu.”

“After that dragon died, the dragon qi leaked away; what was once a medium-blessed land has now degraded to a minor-blessed land,” Zhang Wu sighed.

Blessed lands are classified by celestial creation and fengshui patterns into minor-blessed, medium-blessed, and supreme-blessed.

Like Tongluo Mountain, it is naturally a supreme-blessed land—and unique.

Zhang Wu said that in Xijiang, there are one hundred and eight blessed lands worth contesting, of which only seventeen are supreme-blessed.

“If managed well, a supreme-blessed land can gather a million incense offerings.”

But that’s not the most important thing: blessed lands give birth to rare medicinal herbs, extraordinary treasures, and even divine artifacts unseen in ordinary mountains and marshes.

Moreover, cultivators in blessed lands have a much higher chance of reaching high attainment.

Take [Sui Chunsheng], the director now thriving in Jiangnan Dao Alliance—given his talent, even if he immersed himself in the mortal world, he’d never rise beyond the rank of Gao Gong.

But if he could retreat to a supreme-blessed land for quiet cultivation, he might reach Dashi status, even have a shot at Zhai Shou.

Also, blessed lands grow less effective the more people gather there.

A supreme-blessed land can naturally accommodate far more cultivators than ordinary blessed lands.

Like Tongluo Mountain, there are likely over a hundred natural sacred caves suitable for xuan cultivation.

The sacred cave where the Lingbao Sect’s ancestors once refined pills was one of them.

“We must seize Tongluo Mountain—it’s the foundation upon which Fan Sect will stand,” Zhang Fan said firmly.

“You know Tongluo Mountain is the supreme-blessed land of Xijiang—the competition will be fierce,” Zhang Wu said, gazing deeply at Zhang Fan.

“We must seize it anyway.”

Zhang Fan had his own calculations—he was no longer alone.

As the last ember of Southern Zhang, he had Zhang Lingzong and Zhang Sheng behind him.

Not to mention Li Miaoyin, Li Yishan, and others.

Zhang Fan may soon face not just Northern Zhang, not just Baihe Guan.

Once Longhu Mountain reopens, all overt and covert currents will converge upon him—he must secure his footing in Xijiang to face the unpredictable future, and Tongluo Mountain must be his.

“If we can seize Tongluo Mountain, it will greatly benefit Fan Sect’s development,” Zhang Wu also hoped for this outcome.

“One Tongluo Mountain isn’t enough—if we could seize more supreme-blessed lands, it would be even better,” Zhang Fan murmured.

Fan Sect is newly founded, its members all scattered cultivators, disunited, gathered only by circumstance, lacking cohesion.

If, during this Dan Yuan Fa Hui, we seize Tongluo Mountain and gain additional blessed lands, Fan Sect will have hope—and these people will truly commit themselves to it.

“It’s difficult,” Zhang Wu said gravely.

“Seventeen supreme-blessed lands—Tongluo Mountain alone will draw away most of the strength; the rest won’t have enough to contest the others,” Zhang Wu shook his head.

Fan Sect’s roots are still too shallow to rival great sects like Sanqing Mountain, Gezao Mountain, or Magu Mountain.

In the contest for supreme-blessed lands, Tian Shi-level masters won’t intervene.

Guan Zhu-level experts are as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns; they likely won’t even appear, and if they do, they’ll focus solely on Tongluo Mountain, having little impact on the other sixteen supreme-blessed lands.

“You and I will handle Tongluo Mountain,” Zhang Fan said firmly.

Fan Sect currently has five Zhai Shou-level masters: Xiang Nantian, Ling Du, Chang Jinzhi, Xiao Xiaole, and Hua Wuhuan—if they’re freed up in pairs or trios, they could contest one or two other supreme-blessed lands.

Five Zhai Shou-level masters—most Daoist sects can’t muster such strength.

Scattered cultivators may be dispersed, but when gathered, they form formidable power.

In past Dan Yuan Fa Hui, many Daoist sects recruit scattered masters as allies—external reinforcements.

Like former [Pei Buqi], who was courted by Sanqing Mountain; Chang Jinzhi also drew close to Gezao Mountain for a time, but it ended when Zhang Fan grew dominant.

“No wonder you came to visit Fujiao Mountain,” Zhang Wu realized.

Fujiao Mountain, Jingtu Guan, its Guan Zhu Xu Changshou.

This time, among the seven Zhai Shou-level masters Zhang Wu came to visit in Xijiang, apart from the “accidentally deceased” Pei Buqi, only Xu Changshou had yet to appear.

This man is extremely low-key in Xijiang, always claiming illness and never showing himself; many assume he’s already dead.

“Xu Changshou is a formidable expert,” Zhang Fan murmured.

Outsiders don’t know Xu Changshou’s depth, but Zhang Wu holds detailed intelligence and records from Northern Zhang.

Xu Changshou’s cultivation level is no lower than Xiang Nantian’s.

“He’s from the Yangyang Xu family!?” Zhang Fan’s gaze sharpened into a single thread.

“Few know his true identity,” Zhang Wu said gravely.

“It’s said he wandered far from home in youth, never receiving Xu Zu’s true transmission; later, he received favor from the Zhang family, secured his footing in Xijiang, cultivated his path on Fujiao Mountain, refined his inner elixir, perfected his life-energy, and entered the Zhai Shou realm.”

“Perhaps he gained Xu Zu’s spiritual intent within this mountain.”

“After all, this is where Xu Zu subdued the dragon—he is of the Xu family,” Zhang Wu sighed.

“Interesting,” Zhang Fan smiled.

Zhang Fan has dealt with many Yangyang clans—Wang, Ge, Qiu—all had grudges.

But the Xu family was the most peculiar.