Chapter 127 - 82: To Celestial Water Gorge

Chapter 127: Chapter 82: To Celestial Water Gorge

With the arrival of autumn, Li Changfeng and Lieyun finally crossed the Central Plains once more, following the rivers back to Yunmeng Marsh.

Anxious to report back on their mission, the two dared not delay for a moment. They hurried on their way, and their journey back took significantly less time than their trip out.

Upon returning to Yunmeng Marsh, Lieyun immediately revealed his true form. A single, imposing horn jutted from his head, his body covered in glistening azure scales. He plunged into the water, churning it violently for a good while.

After frolicking for a while, he finally surfaced, stretching his draconic body, feeling refreshed and invigorated.

He then generously called Li Changfeng over. Carrying him on his back, Lieyun activated his Water Escape. Riding the currents, they returned to the Tai Su Continent before long.

The man and the jiao returned to Chongyun Peak. Before they even reached the summit, they heard rumbling explosions from high in the sky. A terrifying pressure, like the might of heaven itself, permeated the air, striking them with awe and fear.

The two exchanged a look and quickly climbed the path to the summit. There, they saw a plume of vapor, like a signal beacon, shooting up from Xuzhuang’s cave-dwelling into the sky. In mid-air, it transformed into a fiery crimson cloud. As the vapors within it churned, thunder cracked, brazenly brewing endless lightning and True Flame.

The thundercloud roiled with terrifying and majestic might. The power contained within was simply unimaginable. It seemed a single bolt of lightning and fire could shatter mountains and sunder peaks.

As the two watched, a Daoist Child approached them. Noticing only Li Changfeng and not Lieyun, he bowed and said, "Senior Brother, the Master is practicing a Daoist technique. There is no need for alarm." He then asked, "Where have you come from, Senior Brother? Are you here to visit the Master? Have you submitted a visiting card?"

Before Li Changfeng could reply, Lieyun popped his head out from behind his shoulder and shouted, "You must be the new Daoist Child, huh? You don’t even recognize the head disciple of Chongyun Peak!"

The Daoist Child was startled. He seemed to take a closer look, then hurriedly said, "Ah, it’s Senior Brother Li! Please forgive my rudeness."

Li Changfeng nodded and said, "It’s no matter. Is Master in seclusion?"

The child replied, "Many people have come to visit recently, so the Master has made occasional appearances. He is not in seclusion."

The child then led Li Changfeng toward the residence. Upon entering the main gate of the cave-dwelling, he saw two people already waiting in the hall. Li Changfeng asked in a low voice, "And who are these two?"

"Those are Senior Brother Tang Fanglai and Senior Sister Wen Pei," the Daoist Child replied. "They are Inner Sect Disciples who took on a merit task to practice the Master’s newly created Daoist technique. They often come to the cave-dwelling to report their progress and ask for guidance."

"I see," Li Changfeng replied. Just then, the two looked over, so Li Changfeng greeted them, and they exchanged a few words.

By now, Li Changfeng had earned a considerable reputation within the Inner Sect, and he was also Xuzhuang’s disciple. The two were therefore quite respectful in both word and deed, not daring to breach etiquette. This made Li Changfeng feel a little uncomfortable. Moreover, he was travel-worn and exhausted, so the conversation soon died down.

They all sat in silence for a moment. After the Daoist Child refilled their tea, a gentle breeze suddenly wafted out from the depths of the cave-dwelling. Before anyone could even blink, a handsome young Daoist with his hair tied up in a sword-shaped pin had appeared in the master’s seat. He sat down with unhurried grace, picked up a cup of tea, and took a sip.

Everyone rose and bowed in unison. Li Changfeng said respectfully, "Disciple Li Changfeng, I pay my respects to Master."

"Disciples Tang Fanglai and Wen Pei greet Junior Martial Uncle Xu."

Without any visible movement from Xuzhuang, an invisible force lifted them all to their feet. His gaze swept over Li Changfeng’s face, and he gave a slight nod, motioning for him to sit down first. Then he asked Tang Fanglai and Wen Pei about their progress with the Daoist technique.

Tang Fanglai replied, "I recently managed to cultivate the Daoist technique to the Second Realm. It went fairly smoothly, but I’m having some difficulty in wielding it..."

Wen Pei, however, said, "I still haven’t managed to cultivate the technique to the Second Realm. When I try to shape its form and imbue its essence, I always feel my Magical Power stagnating in the Shaoyang Sanjiao meridian of my hand..."

Xuzhuang listened to each of them in turn, occasionally offering a few words of enlightenment, and sometimes pausing to ponder for a moment.

As Li Changfeng listened from the side, a thought suddenly struck him: ’Why does the Daoist technique Master created... seem so much like the Divine Techniques of the Five-Clawed Flame Dragon?’

But as he listened more closely, he realized that when his Master lectured, he expounded more upon the Form and Essence Dao, seemingly not restricting it to fire, water, or even lightning arts...

After more than an hour of lecturing and clearing up their doubts, Tang Fanglai and Wen Pei respectfully took their leave. Xuzhuang then turned his gaze to Li Changfeng and asked, "Changfeng, was your journey a success?"

Li Changfeng replied, "Reporting to Master, the journey went smoothly. I have delivered the letter and the gift box."

Xuzhuang grunted in acknowledgment and asked, "Did Zhong Shenxiu give a response?"

Li Changfeng said, "Elder Zhong has agreed to the terms in Master’s letter."

Xuzhuang nodded, saying nothing more on the subject. Instead, with a flick of his finger, he sent a Golden Talisman flying into Li Changfeng’s hand. "This round trip was hundreds of thousands of li long. You’ve worked hard. Go back and get some proper rest."

"This Talisman Book bears my seal. Take it to the Ministry of Affairs Hall, and you can exchange it for the Immortal Ganoderma. With that, you will have gathered all the components for the Six Harmonies Great Medicine. However, on the path of the Golden Core Dao, once you succeed, there is no turning back. You must cultivate yourself well and not be impatient for results."

Li Changfeng bowed respectfully and said, "Thank you for your guidance, Master."

"Go on." With a flick of his sleeve, Xuzhuang vanished without a trace.

Once Xuzhuang had left the hall, Lieyun suddenly leaped out from Li Changfeng’s collar and shouted, "Changfeng, kid! Why didn’t you ask the Master when and where he’s going to fight Zhong Shenxiu?"

Li Changfeng sighed helplessly. "Martial Uncle Lieyun, if Master didn’t mention it, it means he doesn’t want us to watch. Why ask a needless question?"

Lieyun said urgently, "Aren’t you curious to see what a fight between figures like the Master and Zhong Shenxiu would be like? To see who is the superior one?"

"I think that when figures like Master and Elder Zhong fight, it’s more about validating their own cultivation than simply competing. It’s not meant to be a spectacle for others to gawk at."

"Master sent me on a journey of thousands of miles precisely because he didn’t want outsiders to know about this. He would never invite people to watch," Li Changfeng said. "This duel... its result is perhaps fated to remain unknown."

"What?" Lieyun’s expression changed slightly. He said awkwardly, "But... isn’t the news already all over the Tai Su Continent and the Upper Profound Sect?"

"Is that so? I’m afraid it’s more than that. By now, the news of Master issuing a challenge to Zhong Shenxiu has probably spread like wildfire across the entire Shen Zhou Land," Li Changfeng said faintly.

"AHEM, AHEM... You still have to go to the Ministry of Affairs Hall to get that Immortal Ganoderma, right, kid? I won’t go with you. I’m going back to the Celestial Pool to rest." Before his voice had even faded, Lieyun flicked his jiao body and vanished.

Li Changfeng glanced back in the direction Lieyun had gone, bowed to the Daoist Child, then turned and left the cave-dwelling.

Once all the guests had departed, the Daoist Child cleared away the tea set and pastries, then closed the gate to the cave-dwelling.

After that day, tranquility returned to Chongyun Peak. Though visitors occasionally came to call, Xuzhuang did not make an appearance to receive them.

It was not until the new year, when spring returned and the landscape turned green once more, that a streak of rainbow light shot up from the summit of Chongyun Peak. It vanished into the high, dense clouds, speeding away to the east.

「Destination: Celestial Water Gorge.」