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"you you……"
The old master pointed at Zhou Ye, said something for a long time, and finally seemed to deflate, plopped back down on the stone bench, picked up the teacup and poured it into his mouth, not caring that the tea had already gone cold.
"A monster...it's a real monster..."
He muttered something, it was hard to tell whether he was cursing or praising.
With the transaction completed, the atmosphere became somewhat relaxed.
Zhou Ye was quite satisfied with his "research results" and seemed to be in a good mood. Looking at the old master, who looked utterly dejected, as if he had lost all his savings, he unusually took the initiative to speak:
"As an extra thank you, I can send you another message."
"Oh?"
The old celestial master looked up, intrigued. "What news?"
"That old Taoist priest you sent to test me,"
Zhou Ye said calmly,
"His Dao heart is shattered, but that is reversible. All we need to do is make him understand that the heavenly secrets he observed were not wrong, but that the objects of his observation were beyond his comprehension. The essence of the world has not changed; he just needs to upgrade his telescope."
The old master was taken aback upon hearing this, then a knowing smile appeared on his face.
"Thank you for your guidance. That old fellow can finally be saved."
He had barely finished speaking when his brows furrowed sharply, and his gaze shot sharply toward the mountain gate.
Almost simultaneously, a domineering, unruly, and violent aura of Qi, like a beacon of smoke, rose into the sky from the mountainside, making no attempt to conceal its arrival to the entire Longhu Mountain.
The old master was all too familiar with this aura.
"Ha, speak of the devil and he appears. That old mad dog's nose is still as sharp as ever."
Before he could finish speaking, Zhang Lingyu strode in with a solemn expression, bowed, and reported:
"Master, the head of the Lü family, Lü Ci, has led his men to storm the mountain!"
Chapter 395 Uninvited Guest
"Break through the mountain?" The old Celestial Master raised an eyebrow, his tone revealing neither joy nor anger.
"He's getting more and more capable. How many people did he bring?"
“Only two people are traveling with us, but… but…” Zhang Lingyu’s expression was somewhat grim.
"The disciples guarding the mountain gate said that Master Lü... he... he started fighting without warning and has already injured seven of our fellow disciples."
"Bastard!"
Before the old celestial master could speak, a hoarse, angry shout came from the tightly closed thatched hut behind him. Immediately afterward, several other elderly Taoist priests, also with white hair and beards, appeared from their respective meditation rooms, each with an angry expression.
"That old scoundrel Lü Ci is going too far! Does he really think Longhu Mountain is his backyard, where he can come and go as he pleases and fight whenever he wants?"
"Senior brother! We can't let him get away with this! Let me go and deal with him!"
These individuals were all senior members of the Celestial Master's Mansion, usually living in seclusion and representing the true essence of Longhu Mountain. Now, faced with such a blatant attack from Lü Ci, even a clay figure would have some temper.
The old Celestial Master waved his hand, stopping his fellow disciples from acting impulsively. He stood up, dusted off non-existent dust from his Taoist robe, and his expression returned to calm.
"What's the rush? If a mad dog bites you, are you going to bite it back?"
He said slowly,
“Let him make a scene. The bigger the scene, the more panicked he is. Let’s go, Lingyu, lead the way. Let’s see what this Lu family patriarch is up to.”
As he spoke, he glanced at Zhou Ye, who had remained an outsider throughout, and gestured for him to enter.
"Sir, I'm afraid you'll have to laugh at me. A rather inconsiderate relative has come to visit, and I haven't been able to entertain him properly."
Zhou Ye nodded noncommittally and stood up as well. He had no interest in such internal human conflicts, but since he was here, he might as well be a "spectator." He also wanted to see for himself what kind of person Lü Ci, whom he had described as a "fool."
The group walked through the quiet backyard and headed towards the main hall of the Celestial Master's Mansion.
Before they even got close, a series of arrogant shouts and curses carried on the wind.
"Zhang Zhiwei! You old bastard, get out here! Don't think you can get away with this by hiding in the back like a coward! If you don't give me an explanation today, I'll tear this damn place down!"
The owner of the voice was strong and powerful, but it was full of violence and eccentricity, making people feel uncomfortable just listening to it.
When Zhou Ye and his group arrived at the square in front of the main hall, they were met with a tense scene.
Dozens of Taoist priests from the Celestial Master's Mansion, wielding long swords, surrounded the three people, but none dared to step forward. Several young Taoist priests lay on the ground, clutching their chests, blood trickling from their mouths, clearly suffering serious injuries.
In the center of the encirclement stood an elderly man who was not particularly tall, but whose aura was extremely fierce. He was dressed in a Tang suit, his face was gaunt, and his triangular eyes flashed with a venomous light. He was none other than Lü Ci, one of the Ten Elders and a member of the Lü family.
Standing beside him were another old man and a young man. The old man was Wang Ai, one of the Ten Elders, with a smile that seemed to enjoy watching the drama unfold. The young man was Wang Ai's grandson, Wang Bing, who looked arrogant and glanced disdainfully at the surrounding Taoists.
"Master!"
"Tianshi!"
Upon seeing Zhang Zhiwei appear, the Taoist priests present seemed to have found their pillar of support, and they all bowed and made way for him.
Lu Ci's gaze, like two poisoned knives, instantly locked onto Zhang Zhiwei. When he saw Zhou Ye following behind Zhang Zhiwei, his brows immediately furrowed.
"Zhang Zhiwei, you've finally come out?" he said sarcastically.
"Who's this kid behind you? A complete stranger. What, is this the big secret your Longhu Mountain is hiding? A kid who hasn't even grown a beard yet can scare the people my Lü family sent out to shatter their Dao hearts? Are you kidding me?"
His words contained a wealth of information.
The Taoist priests present were in an uproar. It turned out that Lü Ci's trek into the mountain today was because of what happened on the train a few days ago!
The old Celestial Master stopped in his tracks. Looking at the mess on the ground and his injured disciples, the peace on his face finally faded, replaced by an unfathomable indifference.
"Lu Ci, you injured my disciple in my Longhu Mountain. Are you tired of living, or do you think I, Zhang Zhiwei, am too weak to wield a sword?"
His voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable authority, and the temperature in the square seemed to drop a few degrees.
Lu Ci felt a chill run down his spine at the pressure of the old man's imposing aura. Even if he was crazy, he knew how terrifying this old fellow was. But he had come here today to cause trouble, so he wouldn't back down easily.
"Damn it, you're trying to pull this on me!" Lu Ci roared, his neck stiff.
"My family's descendants have been crippled, and I'm here to demand an explanation—it's my right! Zhang Zhiwei, hand this kid over so I can use my Soul-Searching Technique to search him. If he's not involved, I'll apologize to you on the spot! If he is..."
A fierce glint flashed in his eyes.
"Then he can forget about leaving this mountain unscathed today!"
"Bright Soul Technique?"
Upon hearing these three words, the expressions of all the extraordinary individuals present changed several times.
That was the Lü family's infamous, unique skill—a cruel method that could directly interrogate the soul and forcibly read memories. Those affected would at best become idiots, and at worst, their souls would be scattered—it was incredibly vicious.
"Insolence!" the elders of the Celestial Master's Mansion shouted in unison.
A genuine killing intent finally flashed in Zhang Zhiwei's eyes.
However, at this tense moment, when a great battle was about to break out, a calm voice suddenly rang out.
"You want to... search my soul?"
The one speaking was Zhou Ye.
He stepped out from behind the old Celestial Master, his face still expressionless, but for the first time, his calm eyes looked directly at Lü Ci. His gaze was devoid of emotion, like that of a researcher observing a noisy white rat.
Lu Ci felt uneasy under his gaze, but she remained even more defiant in her words:
"What? Kid, are you scared? If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear. If you're innocent, then let me search you!"
Chapter 396 If you don't work hard in cultivating immortality, you'll be brothers (family) in the Human Emperor's Banner.
"afraid?"
Zhou Ye looked puzzled. What was this ant talking about?
"Why should you be afraid? You are nothing but an ant in front of me."
His voice was soft, yet it was like a needle, precisely piercing the balloon that Lü Ci had built with arrogance and madness.
"You motherfucker..." Lu Ci was about to curse when Zhou Ye raised his hand.
There were no hand gestures or incantations.
He simply raised his hand, looked up at the sky, and softly uttered a single word.
"Come on the banner."
In an instant, heaven and earth were silent.
This wasn't a metaphor; it was a genuine loss of voice. The wind stopped, the birdsong vanished, and even the heavy breathing of dozens of Taoist priests seemed to be choked by an invisible hand. The entire Longhu Mountain was plunged into an eerie, deathly silence, like that of a graveyard.
Immediately afterwards, an indescribable fear, originating from the deepest part of the soul, gripped the hearts of everyone present.
It wasn't fear of the strong, nor was it dread of death; it was a more ancient, more primal tremor. Like a herbivore smelling the scent of a predator, like a data stream encountering a formatting instruction. It was an irresistible warning from the very foundations of life's protocols.
The sky directly above the square had been stained with an intense, indistinguishable purplish-black. The color didn't resemble dark clouds; rather, it was more like a massive, inky black mass, soaked in endless resentment and despair, abruptly embedded beneath the bright blue sky.
A large banner slowly descended from the center of the purplish-black vortex.
The banner was black, its material unknown, yet it possessed a cold, jade-like quality. There were no patterns on its surface, only countless fine, slowly writhing purplish-black lines. These lines intertwined and converged, vaguely forming distorted, wailing human figures.
The flagpole is ancient and simple, with a ferocious beast head at the top, resembling neither a dragon nor a ghost. The beast's mouth is wide open, as if silently devouring all the light and hope in the world.
"Om-"
When the bottom of the large banner gently touched the bluestone slabs of the square, a deep hum finally broke the suffocating silence.
The voice wasn't loud, but it resonated deep within everyone's soul.
"Pfft!"
Wang Bing, the arrogant young master of the Wang family who had been so haughty just moments before, was the first to succumb. His eyes rolled back, he foamed at the mouth, and he fell straight backward, fainting on the spot.
The young Taoist priests around them were in no better shape. Their faces were ashen, their hands gripping their swords trembled violently, and some had even collapsed to the ground, their groins soaked with sweat.
Even the elders of the Celestial Master's Mansion were sweating profusely, their faces extremely solemn. They could feel that their primordial spirit, their "innate light," was like a candle flickering in the wind before this great banner, ready to be extinguished at any moment.
"What is this?"
An elder spoke in a hoarse voice, noticing that his Taoist robe was soaked with cold sweat.