Chapter 2112: Instructions

When Celestial Venerable Yuanshi finally appeared, he brought with him the same extraordinary presence as always.

The White Crane Boy walked ahead of him, while several young attendants followed behind, carrying his belongings, including the Auspicious Cloud and fly-whisk.

By then, nearly all the Chan Sect sages preparing to march toward the Magus Civilization battlefield had already assembled.

The only one absent was the Immortal Emperor of the South Pole.

As the Chan Sect’s primary point of contact with the Magus Civilization from the very beginning, he had already departed ahead of the others to take command on the battlefield.

The vanguard there, which made up roughly one-third of the Chan Sect’s total forces, was currently under his command.

“You ought to proceed with caution on this campaign. Never underestimate your opponents,” Celestial Venerable Yuanshi reminded his disciples.

“Understood,” the Immortal Emperor of the North and the others replied respectfully.

“The Chan Sect, Jie Sect, and Human Sect all share the same Daoist roots. Once you reach the foreign battlefield, cooperate whenever possible and set aside your past grievances.”

“This disciple understands,” Guang Chengzi, Nezha, and the others replied.

“As for the Buddhist faction, they have long been at odds with our Daoist faction. Once you enter foreign lands, you must remain vigilant around them,” Celestial Venerable Yuanshi continued.

“This disciple will keep that in mind!” Yang Jian, the True Lord Erlang, replied with a clasped fist.

Celestial Venerable Yuanshi went on to give them several more instructions regarding the campaign.

The powerful figures of the Chan Sect respectfully acknowledged his words.

From the way he spoke to them, it was clear that no matter how high his cultivation had become, Celestial Venerable Yuanshi was still an elder who could not stop worrying about Guang Chengzi, Nezha, Yang Jian, and the others.

Some of these younger members had already reached Rank Eight, just like him. Yet in Celestial Venerable Yuanshi’s eyes, they remained the same children he had watched grow up.

Still, the disciples of the Chan Sect were obedient and more than willing to listen to him.

This was also one of the defining traits of the renowned orthodox sects of the Immortal Realm.

Such bonds between master and disciple were far less reliable in smaller sects. Among unorthodox sects, betraying one’s master or turning against one’s own lineage was hardly uncommon.

For the sake of pursuing the Great Dao, some cultivators would stop at nothing.

That was precisely why qi cultivators who had only just begun their cultivation journey generally preferred joining prestigious orthodox sects whenever they had the opportunity.

The reputation and moral authority of such sects also allowed them to suppress rival factions and secure a greater share of cultivation resources for themselves.

Celestial Venerable Yuanshi did not say much before the Chan Sect’s army set out.

Even so, this was already the most he had spoken to his disciples in tens of thousands of years.

After giving his final instructions, Celestial Venerable Yuanshi slowly swept his gaze across the sages gathered before him.

In response, the sages lowered their heads slightly in respect.

His gaze first settled on the Immortal Emperor of the North.

Earlier, when the gates of Jade Void Palace opened, Celestial Venerable Yuanshi’s far-reaching divine consciousness had naturally picked up on the Immortal Emperor of the North boasting to the others about the “spirit stone” he had captured and intended to refine.

At first, Celestial Venerable Yuanshi had considered reminding his grand-apprentice to be a little more humble and restrained.

But after giving it some thought, he decided against it.

The Immortal Emperor of the North had only advanced to the Sage Realm less than twenty thousand years ago. For such a “youngster”, showing off a little was hardly unusual.

After all, Celestial Venerable Yuanshi’s own conflict with his brother, Sect Master Tongtian, which eventually led to the great struggle of the Investiture of the Gods, also began with a clash of pride.

Everyone had been young once.

With that thought, Celestial Venerable Yuanshi held back his remark.

Besides, the Immortal Emperor of the North’s ability to refine an innate spiritual treasure was itself proof that he had inherited Celestial Venerable Yuanshi’s ability well.

Within the Immortal Realm, Celestial Venerable Yuanshi was renowned for his mastery of artifact refinement.

After glancing at the Immortal Emperor of the North, his gaze shifted toward Yang Jian and Nezha, who stood near the front of the gathering, behind only Guang Chengzi and Daoist Master Taiyi in seniority.

Yang Jian was undoubtedly one of the leading figures behind the Chan Sect’s resurgence.

The fact that his current strength was second only to Celestial Venerable Yuanshi within the sect was proof enough of that.

At some point, even the Howling Celestial Dog lying at his feet had advanced to Rank Seven.

With this master-and-companion pair fighting together, the Chan Sect’s forces would have another powerful pair to rely on once they entered the battlefields of foreign civilizations.

Celestial Venerable Yuanshi had also heard that tens of thousands of years ago, True Lord Erlang and his dog had fought against that monkey.

Although they had ultimately suffered a narrow defeat, the battle had at least tempered Yang Jian’s fighting spirit.

Over the tens of thousands of years that followed, Yang Jian’s strength had continued to improve, and that setback had likely played a big part in his growth.

Aside from Yang Jian, the other person Celestial Venerable Yuanshi valued most highly within the Chan Sect was Nezha, who had likewise advanced to Rank Eight.

In fact, among the current members of the Chan Sect, Nezha was perhaps even more favored by the sect leader himself.

It was not merely because Nezha knew how to win the sect leader’s favor. She also had a mentor like Daoist Master Taiyi, who was always willing to put in a good word for her before Celestial Venerable Yuanshi.

Beyond that, Nezha maintained good relations with Sage Nuwa of the Yao Clan, members of the Jie Sect, and even the Buddhist faction.

In that respect, she was somewhat similar to Wukong, the Great Monkey of Destruction.

Both were the kind of figures who could move comfortably among the various great sage courts of the Immortal Realm and get along with almost anyone.

Yang Jian, however, was quite different. Although his personal strength was immense and the heavenly court under his command was equally formidable, he fell far behind Nezha when it came to connections and popularity.

Even Yang Jian’s mentor, Master Yuding, had long since perished during the great wars of the Immortal Realm Civilization.

Nezha, by comparison, still had Daoist Master Taiyi to turn to whenever she needed guidance or comfort.

Taiyi’s mastery of artifact refinement had also been inherited directly from Celestial Venerable Yuanshi.

The Universe Ring, Red Armillary Sash, Wind-Fire Wheels, and Fire-tipped Spear in Nezha’s possession had all been forged by Daoist Master Taiyi and repeatedly refined by Nezha herself over the years.

Each of them ranked among the finest world-class secret treasures.

Feeling the sect leader’s gentle gaze resting on her, Nezha pursed her lips slightly.

For some reason, her thoughts drifted to the woman from the Martial Civilization she had seen in the Valthwain Star Domain on the Magus Civilization battlefield.

Just as she was wondering whether she should bring the matter up...

A beam of golden light suddenly tore across the sky.

It looked like a sword!

An urgent message had arrived from the Palace of Eight Views beyond Primordial World. Laozi, the strongest sage of Primordial World, had sent word to Celestial Venerable Yuanshi.

The streak of golden sword energy was none other than a communication talisman sent by Laozi himself.

By then, Celestial Venerable Yuanshi had already finished giving the Chan Sect disciples all the instructions they needed.

With a sweep of his Daoist robe, he said, “You may set out now!”

“Yes!” The assembled Chan Sect disciples bowed respectfully.

Celestial Venerable Yuanshi cast one last glance beyond Primordial World before stepping forward with his right foot.

Using the divine art of shifting stars and rotating constellations, he vanished almost instantly, heading straight toward the Palace of Eight Views.

Celestial Venerable Yuanshi and Sage Laozi shared the same origin, both having been born from Pangu’s primordial spirit. Because of this, they shared a unique connection.

Celestial Venerable Yuanshi could already sense that Laozi’s urgent message was most likely related to their junior brother, Sect Master Tongtian. That was why he had departed in such haste.

Nezha watched the sect leader leave. In the end, the words on her mind never left her mouth, and she could only sigh inwardly.

Oh well. She would just consider this helping Locke and Magus World one more time.

After all, she was the one who had spared those Martial Remnants back then.

The Chan Sect might be an enemy of the Martial Remnants, but Nezha herself certainly was not!

If anything, those people owed her a considerable debt of gratitude.