Chapter 1096

Tao Ji's eyes turned red, and he dared not meet Master Xuanmiao's gaze, shifting his eyes slightly away; after struggling for a long moment, he choked out, "Sister, I don't want you to choose me out of gratitude."

Master Xuanmiao's tender expression vanished instantly; her hand moved faster than her thoughts, slapping him hard on the head: "If I didn't care for someone, even if they were torn to pieces right before my eyes, I wouldn't flinch—he dies for me, I'll send his killer to the underworld to meet him, let them keep fighting in the netherworld, but because it's you, I'm afraid."

Tao Ji's face lit up instantly; he grabbed Master Xuanmiao's hand in return: "Sister!"

Master Xuanmiao knelt before him, humming: "I spoke nicely to you, but you wouldn't listen—you only believe me when I'm angry?"

Pan Yun, standing nearby, saw the two growing affectionate again and shuddered.

She rolled up her sleeves, glanced at her arms, saw them covered in goosebumps, immediately turned away, and ran off to find Zhang Liuzhen.

She'd only come to show off; she didn't want to eat dog food, especially this cloying kind.

"Master Wang is going to transmit the Dharma to me?" Zhang Liuzhen looked astonished.

Pan Yun urged: "Do you want to learn one phrase?"

After a moment of silence, Zhang Liuzhen bowed solemnly to Pan Yun and said gravely: "Thank you!"

Pan Yun waved dismissively: "We Sanqing Mountain disciples have broad minds—we transmit the Dao based on character, not status."

Zhang Liuzhen looked at Pan Yun, who subtly exuded pride, and let out a soft laugh: "Yes, in this one respect, Sanqing Mountain truly surpasses Long Hushan."

He paused, then added: "But apart from the transmission of Dharma, Long Hushan will endure longer and flourish more than Sanqing Mountain."

Zhang Liuzhen sighed: "Character, after all, is scarce."

Pan Yun fell silent; she couldn't say he was wrong, because in the future, Long Hushan surpassed Sanqing Mountain in status, power, and reputation.

In the 26th century, Long Hushan had a complete transmission system and had opened a Daoist academy on the ruins of the Imperial Academy, backed by the government—it taught Daoist arts and researched ancient Daoist methods.

She had once gone there for exchange and study during university.

As for Sanqing Mountain, the small Daoist pavilion atop its peak, after nine centuries, even after the great cosmic changes of the 26th century, remained exactly that same small pavilion.

Only when they wished to research Daoist medicine, historical techniques, or alchemical formulas did they go to Sanqing Mountain for study.

Sanqing Mountain, once of no low standing, had declined after its transmitters grew ever fewer—especially in later eras, only one successor could be found per generation.

Sometimes a transmitter spent their entire life searching for a suitable heir, and sometimes, just after selecting a successor, the Master would die, leaving the transmission incomplete; Sanqing Mountain gradually declined.

Emotions churned in Pan Yun's eyes.

It seemed she must prepare for the future.

Long Hushan's transmission centered on the Zhang family, a clan-based lineage.

Besides their own disciples, they absorbed vast numbers of disciples, even selecting gifted orphans from the common folk, granting them the Zhang surname, and nurturing them into talent.

Li Wenying was such an orphan, taken in by Zhang Maocheng and entrusted to a younger brother surnamed Li to raise, who named her Li Wenying.

Because she was cared for by proxy, Li Wenying clearly knew her benefactor was Master Zhang Maocheng and the Zhang family, and thus remained fiercely loyal to them.

Even without the Imperial Academy co-founded by the court and the Zhang family, the Zhangs would still have amassed countless disciples—one taught ten, ten taught a hundred—Long Hushan would remain the heart of the Daoist lineage, powerful and vast.

In contrast, Sanqing Mountain's transmission demanded character, talent, and compatibility.

This compatibility included the mountain spirit, the Pavilion Master, and fellow disciples.

Pan Yun had been brought up the mountain by Master Xuanmiao and Tao Ji; regardless of their original reason, their bringing her to Sanqing Mountain was itself an affirmation of her;

She had only realized this much later.

When she ascended, Tao Ji sang a song that resonated with heaven and earth; the mountain spirit lowered its gaze, and thus she was carried up in one leap—this meant Sanqing Mountain itself had accepted her;

When she first met Wang Feiyin, she thought he had noticed her talent and wished to take her in—but after living with him, she learned not every talented person was accepted by Wang Feiyin.

For example, Xue Shao.