Chapter 204 - 203: Celestial Master

As it came into view, what a magnificent temple.

Right beside the towering Imperial Palace, an Immortal Mansion and Daoist repository had been established. At the entrance, cranes served as attendants, carved with exquisite detail. Auspicious clouds adorned the gate, their colors layered and remarkably lifelike.

Both were made of brass, not only shining brilliantly but also displaying their magnificence to the fullest.

Vermilion walls, bright yellow tiles, a tall lintel, flanked on each side by two thousand-year-old Locust Trees, with a row of pines and cypresses below.

The wall before him stretched far to either side. Behind its great height, a corner of a dark pagoda and a treasure tower was visible. Though he had not yet entered, its majestic and authentic Daoist air was already apparent.

'Indeed, to enter the Red Dust, even the Quanzhen must take on the appearance of the Red Dust. Without wealth and status, where would the followers come from!'

The Armored Warrior bid Chen Qingyang farewell and drove the carriage away. As Chen Qingyang stood at the entrance, surveying his surroundings, the heavy wooden doors creaked open, and two Daoist Children of about his age walked out.

Both wore green robes with an Eight Trigrams embroidered on the back, Daoist Crowns on their heads, and cloth shoes on their feet. One remained standing motionless by the door, while the other bowed with clasped hands. "May I ask where you have come from, brother?"

'It seems these two Little Daoist Children have never seen the bearing of a Tai Xu Inner Sect Disciple, or else how could they not recognize this Vermilion and Purple Attire?' "I am Chen Qingyang, from Tai Xu. I have come specifically to pay my respects to Celestial Master Zhang!"

Upon hearing the words "Tai Xu," the Child's expression changed instantly. Even the one on the threshold hurried over to welcome him. His reaction was identical to the Gate Officer's as he began to kowtow. "So it is an Immortal from Tai Xu descended to the mortal world! Please, come in quickly!"

'What a "Tai Xu Immortal." Why does it feel like my status is much higher here than at the Nine True Temple?'

'There was a reason these two were put on gate duty; they were certainly clever.' Leading him forward, they chattered nonstop, introducing everything along the way. The True Martial Profound Extreme, the Earth Vajra, the Eighteen Star Monarchs, the Dragon and Tiger True God... they explained each one.

"...Immortal, you may not know, but this Ci Yun Temple was established under the patronage of Tai Xu... It stood here in obscurity for hundreds of years, but after an Immortal from Tai Xu descended, it became the greatest of the Daoist School in our Yong Kingdom..."

The exterior was already renovated to be extremely luxurious, so the interior was sure to hold its own wonders. The Divine Halls and Incense Burners he saw were almost too numerous to take in. Every few steps, there was another, either multicolored or plated in gold.

From the moment they entered, they crossed the main courtyard, then the central courtyard, and finally reached the rear courtyard, with the boys introducing things all along the way.

At the very back of this Daoist Temple stood a small hill. The two Children led Chen Qingyang up this hill. Their pace wasn't slow, but it still took them a full quarter of an hour to walk.

Only when they reached a reception hall at the summit did they stop. After serving tea, one said, "Please wait here for a moment, Immortal. I will go and ask the Celestial Master to come!"

"Thank you for your trouble."

After the two Children left, Chen Qingyang stood at the doorway and gazed around. Although the neighboring Imperial Palace covered a vast area, far surpassing Ci Yun Temple...

...the highest point in this entire area was right here in Ci Yun Temple. Standing here, he had a panoramic view of the Imperial Palace.

This also served as a statement: the Dao was above imperial authority.

After a short wait, an old Daoist with white hair and magnificent robes approached gracefully. He wore a Celestial Master's garment of exceedingly vibrant colors, and on his head was a Celestial Master's Crown, giving him a dignified and solemn appearance.

He walked with an extremely fast pace. Before he had even drawn near, Chen Qingyang assumed he was the National Preceptor, Celestial Master Zhang, and took the initiative to greet him. "Chen Qingyang of Cyan Bamboo Peak greets Celestial Master Zhang!"

Unexpectedly, the old Daoist shook his head, a worried look on his face. "Alas, you are mistaken, Senior Brother. I am not Celestial Master Zhang. I am his junior brother, Ding Xiulong, the Temple Master of Ci Yun Temple and a preceptor of Yong Kingdom... You can just call me Junior Brother."

Chen Qingyang sized him up again. Qi Refining Ninth Realm Cultivation. His body's Qi Mechanism was in decay, a sign that his lifespan was nearing its end.

'Although this Ci Yun Temple is quite famous, logically, it should be like the Nine True Temple at best, where Essence Condensation Cultivation is as rare as a phoenix feather. They probably don't even have that many Qi Refining Cultivators.'

After all, Cultivation Techniques were hard to find, and the Spiritual Qi was extremely thin. Chen Qingyang had been using Spirit Stones for his recovery mediations throughout his journey.

Seeing him remain silent, Ding Xiulong continued, "Please, don't misunderstand, Senior Brother. It's not that Senior Brother Zhang is unwilling to see guests, but he is seriously injured and cannot come here!"

Chen Qingyang was slightly surprised. 'Could he have been injured by the Demon Sect?'

'The information I received before I came didn't seem this serious.' "What exactly is going on?"

"SIGH!" Ding Xiulong sighed again. "It's all because of the Demon Sect's troubles. Although Senior Brother Zhang has Essence Condensation Cultivation, he has been outside the Immortal Sects for a long time and cannot compare to a true member. He was seriously injured yesterday when he fought that person from the Demon Sect, and he has been unable to move freely ever since."

'Since he's an Essence Condensation Cultivator, with the strength of the True Essence in his body, his bones and muscles shouldn't be easily injured. If he's having trouble even getting out of bed now, it must be very serious.'

"Is there no Xuanwei Celestial Master in the Yong Kingdom?"

Ding Xiulong said, "There is a Xuanwei Master. He is conducting a ritual in his Dao Field in the mountains a hundred li away. However, the Celestial Master left for Nine True Mountain seven days ago. From what I know, the Demon Sect has been appearing there frequently, making it extremely difficult to handle."

Chen Qingyang asked again, "Since the Xuanwei Celestial Master left, didn't he leave any other disciples behind?"

'A Celestial Master usually has Inner Sect Disciples from the Tai Xu Sect sent over to gain experience. Many of these people are powerful and skilled. They could hold their own against one or two Inner Sect disciples from the Demon Sect.'

"SIGH!" Ding Xiulong sighed again, looking like he had grievances he couldn't voice. "The Demon Sect has been appearing frequently, so all the senior brothers and sisters have gone to hunt them down. As a result, in this entire, vast Imperial City, only the cultivators of my Ci Yun Temple remain."

'Doesn't that mean there are no other Tai Xu Sect disciples nearby? Trouble isn't going to fall on me as soon as I've arrived, is it?'

"Do you know if there is a Cave Mansion around here called the Cave of Myriad Images?"

Upon hearing this question, Ding Xiulong immediately understood. "Senior Brother, were you sent by Fulu Workshop to collect that stalk of Extremely Yin Grass?"

Chen Qingyang nodded. "That's right."

Receiving his affirmative reply, Ding Xiulong delivered a piece of news that sounded even more troublesome to Chen Qingyang. "Since you've just arrived, Senior Brother, you may not be aware. In the mountains behind this city lies the Cave of Myriad Images. The cave sees no sun year-round and gathers the Spiritual Rhythm of the surrounding heaven and earth, allowing it to produce Extremely Yin Grass of the highest quality. This cave has always been under the stewardship of my Ci Yun Temple."

"However, yesterday, that person from the Demon Sect came specifically for this Immortal Grass. The only four remaining stalks were all snatched by him. If we are to retrieve the Immortal Grass, we must find this Demon Sect Disciple."

'Watching the old Daoist speak, his tone gradually became less certain. How could there be such a coincidence? Could he be using this as a ploy to force me to eliminate this Demon Sect Disciple?'

"What is that Demon Sect member's Cultivation... never mind, you wouldn't know. What is your Senior Brother Zhang's Cultivation?"

But Ding Xiulong said, "Only Senior Brother Zhang has fought him. He is the most familiar with this Demon Sect Disciple. Why don't I take you to see him now, Senior Brother Chen?"

'No matter how he spun it, he just wanted to lead Chen Qingyang to Celestial Master Zhang. His intention to get Chen Qingyang involved in this matter was obvious.'

'Although I repeatedly promised before coming that I wouldn't get into conflicts with people from the Demon Sect, if I just wait around, how will I find an Immortal Seedling to break through my Cultivation?'

"Fine. Lead the way!"

At this point, Ding Xiulong also understood that the other party had seen through his scheme. He hurriedly bowed with clasped hands again. "Thank you, Senior Brother!"

He led the way, with Chen Qingyang following behind. They continued up the mountain and turned into a small courtyard. Inside a room, he saw Celestial Master Zhang lying on a bed.

The man had a dignified appearance, with a broad face, Phoenix Eyes, and three wisps of a long beard. His eyebrows drooped naturally, and his complexion was as pale as jade.

'At least in terms of appearance, he lived up to the title "Shangyuan Qingtian Chengtaixu Jiang Cibei Zhen Daoist Master."'

Although he didn't recognize Chen Qingyang, he recognized the Vermilion and Purple Attire he was wearing. He tried to get up and bow but could only prop himself up on his arms, unable to stop coughing.

Chen Qingyang scanned him with his Divine Sense for a moment. Essence Condensation Third Realm Cultivation. The aura from his Jiang Palace and Mingtang Hall acupoints was extremely weak. This meant two things: first, his Yang Qi was damaged, and second, his Divine Soul was injured.

Looking at his Earth Root Acupoint, it was awash with Yin Qi. The Yin and Yang in his body had long been out of balance. If he relied solely on his own recovery, it would be extremely difficult to achieve balance again.

'For Celestial Master Zhang to have survived an encounter with someone from the Demon Sect meant the opponent was also at the Essence Condensation Third Realm. Chen Qingyang was more than capable of dealing with such a Cultivation level. That they could inflict such an injury also showed how sinister their Dharma Gate was.'

"I am Lingxuzi, greetings Senior Brother from the Immortal Sect... COUGH COUGH, my skills were lacking... to be seriously injured by the Demon Sect, I am ashamed, truly ashamed..." His expression showed a slight embarrassment at his injured state.

But Chen Qingyang had no desire to hear what he already knew all over again. He first waved a hand to interrupt him, then lightly tapped out with his Spirit Rhinoceros Finger. A burst of profoundly powerful fire-colored energy appeared right on the man's Mingtang Hall.

This was produced by cultivating the Nanming Red Fire technique, which also absorbed the True Fire of the Five Elements. Its power was by no means small.

Celestial Master Zhang immediately understood that he was helping him heal. He hurriedly circulated the True Skill within his body to absorb this fire energy at his Mingtang Hall.

In just a few moments, his once-failing Mingtang Hall was restored. Under the influence of the True Fire, it once again formed a balance with the Shadow Fiend.

Instantly, even his complexion improved considerably.

"I will ask the questions. You will only answer what I ask. Understood?"

Seeing how direct he was, the words of thanks Celestial Master Zhang was about to say were caught in his throat. "Please ask, Senior Brother."

"The Extremely Yin Grass in the Cave of Myriad Images—was it taken by the Demon Sect Disciple?"

Celestial Master Zhang didn't seem certain about this. "I have an Array set up in that cave. Any disturbance would have alerted me. Yesterday, just after nightfall, I sensed something was wrong and went inside. I happened to run into that person from the Demon Sect and we fought. In any case, the Immortal Grass was already gone when I arrived, but I can't be sure if that person was the one who took it."

After speaking, he immediately asked, "May I know your name, Senior Brother? Were you sent by Fulu Workshop to retrieve the Immortal Grass?"

Chen Qingyang answered him, "That's right. I came precisely to retrieve that Extremely Yin Grass. I didn't expect something like this to happen. Do you know where that Demon Sect Disciple is now?"

The one who replied this time was not Celestial Master Zhang, but Ding Xiulong. "Replying to Senior Brother, I have already dispatched all our people. If any clues are found, they will report back, so we can hurry and find the trail of the Immortal Grass for you."