Chapter 101: Dao Lineage Examination

"Wait, I fear there is something fishy about this!"

Just as Sima Lingzhen was clapping his hands and laughing, a low shout suddenly came from the jade desk opposite him.

Sima Lingzhen frowned upon hearing this, turned his gaze over with some displeasure, and immediately wore an expression that said he had expected as much.

"Chen Chen Shidi Hou Wen, you again? Ever since we arrived in the Southern Territory, you have been acting all suspicious and paranoid. What, do you truly believe your divination arts can calculate all the mysteries of heaven and earth?"

Sima Lingzhen raised an eyebrow, gave a faint smile, and said:

"It is not that this Xiao Xiao Shixiong looks down on you, but within our Yuchen Sect, even Xiao Xiao Shixiong Junyao, who is most skilled in the way of calculation and has received secret true transmissions, would not dare to think such things.

How long has it been since you, Chen Chen Shidi, transferred from the Lower Court to the Upper Sect? Your insight is shallow after all.

To remain so anxious to this day because of a single hexagram before departure is, to some extent, a loss of face for our Yuchen Sect, and it makes the several Senior Brothers present here laugh for no reason!"

Auspicious clouds shone everywhere, and clear light swirled—

Inside the Orchid Pavilion, six or seven platforms had already been raised high. On each sat a Jin Dan True Person, draped in precious light and wearing an expression of profound virtue.

On the jade desks before them were rare items such as immortal fruits and spirit elixir wines, and the spiritual aura was refreshing to the heart and spleen.

The several True Persons had originally been smiling and chatting happily with Sima Lingzhen and Hou Wen, which could be considered harmonious.

But as the two Yuchen Sect disciples subtly clashed, and with the undisguised mockery in Sima Lingzhen's words, the atmosphere suddenly fell silent, becoming extremely stiff and stagnant.

The several Jin Dan True Persons watched their noses and their hearts, not saying a word.

Since even they were acting this way, the few Cave-Mystic Refiners serving wine at the end were even more like cicadas in winter, not daring to even breathe loudly.

At the jade desk opposite Sima Lingzhen sat a tall Daoist wearing purple-blue Eight Trigrams dharma robes, a lotus treasure crown on his head, and an ancient bell hanging from his waist.

He was about thirty years old, with a short beard on his chin, a refined and haggard face, and a very composed demeanor, like a towering mountain and river.

Hearing Sima Lingzhen's words, Hou Wen frowned slightly, a flash of divine light passing through his eyes, piercing and soul-stirring, but Sima Lingzhen seemed completely unaware, a faint smile still hanging on his face.

"Wood and fire shine together, moistening earth and offending water, the Earth Star is present; this is already a pattern of the Eight Sha descending upon the Main Seal, a sign of a fierce god..."

After the two coldly sized each other up for a long while.

Hou Wen finally sighed and said slowly:

"I know Xiao Xiao Shixiong comes from the Tangting Sima clan. People like you from the Twelve Great Clans are eight or nine times out of ten arrogant and conceited, unable to listen to advice.

But my hexagrams rarely go wrong. There must be something fishy within this Ten Thousand Mile Mirror Talisman. That Evil-Resentment Yin-Victory Demon might just be the fierce god in my hexagram!

Even if Xiao Xiao Shixiong does not care about your own life, can you not think about the major affairs of the sect?"

Seeing Sima Lingzhen unmoved.

Hou Wen was silent for a few breaths, then said helplessly:

"This is the sect's once-in-thirty-years Dao Lineage Examination. Since the two of us have taken on this responsibility, we should act with loyalty.

Now that we haven't even gone to Ai Jian's Xuanzhen Sect to evaluate, verify, and register them in the Golden Records, how can we abandon our duties for the sake of a mere Evil-Resentment Yin-Victory Demon?"

The Yuchen Sect has nearly a thousand subordinate Dao Lineages and branch residences, all of which have branched out and differentiated over the sect's infinite years.

Although these Dao Lineages bear the name of the Yuchen Sect and can enjoy bestowed benefits and learn the Daoist arts and supernatural powers taught by the Yuchen Sect, if their disciples are outstanding, they can even enter the Yuchen Sect to listen to lectures for a period of time upon the recommendation of the Dao Lineage Master.

But these various benefits are not without cost.

These Dao Lineages must not only pay a tribute every year to the Yuchen Main Sect to continue the old ties of incense, but every thirty years, the Yuchen Sect will also send two Inspecting Daoists to check and evaluate the development and progress of each Dao Lineage.

They evaluate everything from the disciples' cultivation base, the mountain gate's spiritual energy, and Daoist arts and supernatural powers to profound demonic merits.

If a Dao Lineage receives a low evaluation three times in a row, it will be removed from the Yuchen Sect's register, its name erased from the Golden Records, and not only will it no longer receive benefits, but it will also be unable to act in the name of a Yuchen Sect Dao Lineage in the future; otherwise, there will be punishment.

Sima Lingzhen and Hou Wen—

These two.

Are the Yuchen Sect's Inspecting Daoists this time, responsible for the evaluation and verification of the Southern Territory Dao Lineages.

The Southern Territory lacks spiritual energy and is not a paradise for cultivation.

Only Ai Jian, who committed a major mistake thirty years ago and was almost expelled from the sect, hastily created a Dao Lineage here...

And when Hou Wen was still in the Yuchen Sect's Lower Court, he was famous for his innate divine calculations, relying on this to kill his way into the ranks of the Ten Great Disciples, and later naturally entered the Yuchen Sect's Upper Sect.

Before coming to the Southern Territory with Sima Lingzhen, he specifically exhausted his heart's blood to cast a hexagram for this journey, but it resulted in a sign of great misfortune.

But since he had already received the talisman edict, he could not retreat at this time; otherwise, he would show cowardice in front of his fellow disciples, lose his own face, and disappoint the elders in the sect who valued him.

And since Hou Wen began this journey.

The vigilance and caution he maintained because of the hexagram—

In the eyes of Sima Lingzhen, who came from a great clan, appeared to be a display of sitting in a well and looking at the sky, moaning without illness, which was very displeasing to the eye.

People from great clans and those of humble origins have always had many frictions. Even if they are in the same sect, they generally dislike each other and rarely get along.

Furthermore, Sima Lingzhen had long been impatient with Hou Wen's grass-and-trees-are-all-enemies attitude along the way. With three parts of anger already in his heart, he was even more inclined to sneer at him.

It would be fine if they had gone to the Xuanzhen Sect early to complete the examination.

With less time spent together, much unpleasantness could naturally be reduced.

But it just so happened that the Fire Dragon Master in the sect sent a decree from afar a few days ago, saying that Wang Shu, who went to the Southern Chan Continent to seek medicine, was now missing... After discussion by all the elders of the Profound Teaching Hall, they needed to wait until Wang Shu's life or death was confirmed before letting Sima Lingzhen and Hou Wen go to the Xuanzhen Sect for the Dao Lineage Examination.

As for the connection between Wang Shu and Ai Jian, and how his life and death affected this Dao Lineage Examination, that was another story for later.

Since it was the Fire Dragon Master's decree and had the tacit approval of all the elders of the Profound Teaching Hall, neither of them could violate it.

Even if Sima Lingzhen disliked Hou Wen, he still had to stop and slow down the schedule to the Xuanzhen Sect in Little Gan Mountain.

At this time, Jin Dan True Persons from several Southern Territory sects heard the news and specifically used the Five Dragon Temple as a venue to host a banquet and invite them.

Sima Lingzhen and Hou Wen went with the flow and rested in the Five Dragon Temple, sitting silently and waiting for the follow-up...

Hearing that Hou Wen was still worried, obstructing and pushing back, and even using the righteousness of the Dao Lineage Examination to force him.

Sima Lingzhen sneered coldly in his heart, secretly mocking: "When this person was one of the Ten Great Disciples in the Lower Court, he received many favors from Shao You. Now that Shao You is overestimating himself and wants to compete with Xiao Xiao Shixiong Xie for the position of True Transmission, this Hou Wen is impatient to jump out, act against me everywhere, and rush to be a pawn to curry favor? Ridiculous! And he even uses some hexagram as an excuse. Do you really think I, Sima Lingzhen, don't know your intentions, Hou Wen?

Once Xiao Xiao Shixiong Xie ascends to the precious position, sooner or later, I will force you out of Xudu Heaven, go to the Earth Continent to open a branch residence, and let you end your remaining life in that kind of barbaric wilderness!

Not just you, Shao You and his group of running dogs will sooner or later meet the same fate!"

Sima Lingzhen stopped thinking, sneered again, reached out and beckoned, summoning a ten-zhang-tall beaded heavenly palace. The brilliant light was dazzling, auspicious clouds were scattered, and the momentum was extremely magnificent and grand, illuminating the ten-mile sea of clouds with a bright and brilliant light!

He stomped his foot, flew into the heavenly palace, and opened the formation gate restrictions.

The heavenly palace suddenly flashed with colorful light, stirring the spiritual energy within the Five Dragon Temple like a surging tide. Clouds broke and light opened, and there were even a few high-pitched and clear phoenix cries and elephant roars, sounding like thunder, wanting to roll over the eight peaks with divine qi!

A Jin Dan True Person from Divine Fire Cliff who had recently advanced saw this state and could not help but stand up, exclaiming in a loss of composure:

"What a formidable magic treasure! Could this be the Yuchen Sect's Jade Scenery Yujing Feigong?"

In the Yuchen Sect, whenever a disciple passes the Great Competition and ascends from the four Lower Courts to the Yuchen Sect's Main Sect for cultivation, the Spirit Treasure Hall will specifically craft a "Jade Scenery Yujing Feigong" to bestow upon them, to commend their Dao practice and to protect their lives.

This "Jade Scenery Yujing Feigong" is a magic artifact of extremely high rank. Not only are the restrictions complete, but it can even withstand the attacks of a Primordial Spirit True Person without damage, and its escape speed is extremely fast, far exceeding ordinary Jin Dan cultivators. It can drive the light and wind of the four seasons of heaven and earth, and in the blink of an eye, it can travel through the void and shift through the underworld.

At this time—

This Jin Dan True Person from Divine Fire Cliff could no longer care about being impolite. He cast two flames from his eyes to carefully examine the restriction materials, his eyes full of envy.

Divine Fire Cliff is based on refining artifacts and casting materials. Among the three volumes of iron books left by the Copper Mountain Fuchan Laozu in the sect, besides one volume pointing directly to the Primordial Spirit Dao Fruit, the remaining two volumes record the refining details of various magic treasures.

Because the Copper Mountain Fuchan Laozu had also entered the Yuchen Sect's Lower Court, it was a pity that he did not compete for the position of Ten Great Disciples and was repeatedly brushed off in the Great Competition, with no hope of promotion.

Later, disheartened, he took the initiative to apply to the Supervisor to remove his name from the Lower Court register. He wandered for hundreds of years, even went to the Earth Continent outside the universe several times, and finally came to the Southern Territory in a winding way, creating the Divine Fire Cliff orthodoxy here.

Because of this fate, the Copper Mountain Fuchan Laozu held a bitter obsession with the Yuchen Sect's Upper Sect. Even his favorite magic treasure from back then—the Iron Luo Yujing Feigong—was refined in the shape of the Yuchen Sect Spirit Treasure Hall's "Jade Scenery Yujing Feigong," and all kinds of external scenery and atmosphere were strived to be almost the same.

And now.

In the eyes of this newly advanced Jin Dan True Person from Divine Fire Cliff, this heavenly palace summoned by Sima Lingzhen.

The restrictions go without saying.

But observing the refining techniques and the ratio of all kinds of magic materials inside, although he could only see a blur, it was clearly a completely different trend from their own sect-protecting magic treasure "Iron Luo Yujing Feigong"!

This appearance made this newly advanced Jin Dan from Divine Fire Cliff feel cold in his hands and feet, and his face was somewhat out of composure.

And his exclamation also made the several Jin Dan True Persons on the platforms look over, their expressions all different.

The status gap between disciples of great sects like the Yuchen Sect and people like them was already a world of difference.

Not to mention the cultivation scriptures, supernatural powers, and the fate, blessed lands, and spiritual species obtained, just the family wealth alone was enough to make them look up to them.

Just speaking of this flying palace magic artifact with complete restrictions and strict gates, it was something that most of them Jin Dan True Persons did not have, and this was because they were at least from sects like the Five Light Sect and Divine Fire Cliff.

If it were changed to a poorer Jin Dan loose cultivator, I fear they wouldn't even be able to get their hands on a single magic artifact, and could only use some high-grade talisman artifacts to make up the numbers...

"As expected, they are a group of vulgar savages from the Southern Territory. They can't even recognize my Tangting Sima clan's 'Purple Su Zisu Zisu Bafang Gong' and think it's the 'Jade Scenery Yujing Feigong'?"

Sima Lingzhen found it somewhat funny in his heart, but he was too lazy to argue.

Although this "Purple Su Zisu Zisu Bafang Gong" is also vast inside, with continuous houses, water pavilions, and flower ponds, it is enough to accommodate nearly a hundred people, but compared to the "Jade Scenery Yujing Feigong," which is almost like a small city, it is still more than a notch worse.

Not to mention that when the "Jade Scenery Yujing Feigong" is driven, there are all kinds of colorful clouds reflecting the sky, like the rising sun, and the atmosphere is even more different, which is easy to distinguish.

Only these Southern Territory cultivators, whose land is not a paradise for cultivation, and whose mountain gates of several great sects are far away from here.

Even if some people have managed to achieve the Great Dao Jin Dan, they are still so ignorant.

After sitting down on the cloud couch in the main hall, Sima Lingzhen took out a jade plate from his sleeve, suppressing his laughter, and just as he was about to activate it, he saw Hou Wen frowning in the Orchid Pavilion, as if he was about to persuade something again.

"Chen Chen Shidi, stop nagging and bothering yourself! Who would dare to risk the world's condemnation to attack a Yuchen Sect cultivator! Furthermore, do you think my cultivation is made of mud?!"

Sima Lingzhen became increasingly impatient:

"And don't use the Dao Lineage Examination to pressure me. Now Wang Shu's life or death is still unknown! According to the Fire Dragon Master's decree, even if we are to go to Ai Jian's Xuanzhen Sect, we must wait until Wang Shu's life or death is confirmed!"

After speaking, the heavenly palace shook off the divine wind, and after a flash of light, it disappeared without a trace.

"Heh... everything has to be linked to family background?

These people from great clans are truly stupid worms. Keeping you is truly a waste of the Heavenly Venerable's reputation!"

Watching the direction in which the flying palace escaped, Hou Wen was stunned for a long time before he inexplicably withdrew his gaze and sighed.

Naturally, no one dared to answer this.

The several True Persons on the platforms all gave a dry laugh, just kept raising their cups to urge Hou Wen to drink, and the atmosphere relaxed again.

And among them.

True Person Wang of the Five Light Sect always had an uncertain expression, did not hold his cup, and his fingers under his flowing cloud sleeves were silently clenched.

"Huaiwu... you idiot, actually stupid enough to be kind to a Heavenly Demon?! If you just wanted to escape Xudu Heaven, why didn't you come and discuss it with me? Are you still worried that I would snatch your Heavenly Demon?"

Not far from his platform, the Jin Dan True Person of the Flower God Mansion looked at True Person Wang's changing expression with a slight smile and great interest.

This was a plump and graceful beautiful woman, with colorful ribbons around her arms, and twenty-four flower god colorful shas hanging behind her head, like chaotic clouds.

"The Huaiwu kid you are looking after is dead for sure." After watching for a moment, she smiled and transmitted her voice.

True Person Wang was expressionless and did not look at her.

"To be honest, it's actually a rare Evil-Resentment Yin-Victory Demon? If I were this Huaiwu kid, I would definitely hide it, not even trusting my parents and teachers, let alone the old friends of my teacher before he died."

She spoke again with a smile:

"But that Heavenly Demon could actually find someone who resonates with the 'Silent Tiangong Saint-Making Prayer Dharma'? Good luck! If she were to reincarnate and seize the body, becoming a Suiyu Demon Child, I fear it would be difficult to control."

"Do you have a lot to say today?" True Person Wang said unhappily.

"It's a pity that with Sima Lingzhen of the Yuchen Sect making a move, a dignified member of the Twelve Great Clans, even if that Evil-Resentment Yin-Victory Demon has great ability, it will have to go into the elixir furnace for a walk."

The beautiful woman seemed not to have heard, covered her mouth and smiled:

"Not just it, even the Huaiwu kid you are looking after is dead for sure!"

True Person Wang glanced at her coldly, his gaze turned several times, as if he hesitated for a while, but finally turned his face away.

"Huaiwu... you are really dead for sure this time..."

He lowered his eyelids and sighed in his heart.

Floating Jade Lake.

Once that miserable demonic light shot into Chen Hang's heart, it sprayed and expanded toward his limbs and bones, like colorful silkworms crawling densely. In just a few breaths, it had already wrapped Chen Hang tightly.

Looking from afar, it was like a gorgeous big cocoon.

Seeing the cocoon formed at this time, Cave Master Huaiwu finally put his heart down and flicked his whisk lightly.

"After the work is done, I can finally sleep peacefully. Two hundred years of bitter waiting, finally waited until this moment, Heaven does not fail me!"

He thought to himself.

And inside the big cocoon.

Chen Hang at this time had a feeling he had never had before. ===== CHAPTER 102 =====