There is no spring or autumn, and it is hot all year round.
What these words are talking about is a huge mountain range derived from Mangshan. It is also the location of the gate of Tianhuo Sect among the three sects and six sects, Luoyan Mountain.
According to rumors, thousands of years ago, Luoyan Mountain was still a land of green mountains and green waters. A sky fire fell on the top of the mountain and remained immortal for a long time. It could sense celestial phenomena and connect to the earth.
Gradually, not only did the climate of the mountain range change drastically, but earth fire grew everywhere. Every cave and crevice could lead directly to the lungs of the earth. Every mountain spring and pool was warm or even scalding, and countless fire spiritual veins were created.
It was in this mountain range that Tianhuo Taoist practiced Taoism and finally founded the Tianhuo Sect.
Whether this story is true or false may not be impossible to verify, but at least this is what the Sky Fire Sect said, and over time it has become a popular rumor in the Divine Continent.
Deep in the Tianhuo Sect, in a cave connected to the hinterland, the ground is flat and there are octagonal altars. Except for the north, every corner is lit with lamps to give the cave a little light.
Yang Huaizun stood in the middle of the altar, his head slightly drooped, but his body was still upright. He held his hands high in the air and said in a deep voice: "Please give me the Dharma, Father!"
"..."
After a long time, there was still silence in the cave, and there was no response. Yang Huaizun couldn't help but raise his head and look up.
With the faint light, you can see a high platform protruding from the half wall, like a shrine. In the shrine sits a huge Dharma statue, with one arm on the left hand holding a Dharma seal, and two arms on the right, one holding a sword and the other pointing to the ground.
Under the Dharma image, a Taoist whose appearance could not be seen clearly sat cross-legged facing the Dharma image, leaving only a trace of his back.
Yang Huaizun spoke again: "Please give me the Dharma, Great Father!"
"..."
After about half a while, there was still no response, but an old woman emerged from the darkness and said, "Brother, forget it."
Yang Huaizun remained silent and stared upwards. Seeing this, the old woman tried to persuade him again: "Brother, it's the third day you've come here, but you haven't responded. Don't you know what my father means?"
"Isn't this the time to be brave and fight ruthlessly? The right choice is to devote yourself to cultivation and wait for the time to refine your soul."
Yang Huaizun suddenly looked back, almost weeping in his eyes, and said bitterly: "My favorite, most accomplished person, and most likely to inherit the mantle, Lian'er was killed by Xu Zhuang. If I don't avenge this revenge, how can I be enlightened, how can I practice with concentration, how can I Refining the soul?"
The old woman was obviously startled, opening and closing her mouth again and again, and then a thought came to her mind: "Has Yang Huaizun lost his mind and gone crazy?"
She still remembered what ridiculous words Yang Huaizun said when he came yesterday -
"I wanted to refine Lian'er into a great medicine to replenish my merits. Only in this way can I make further progress and accumulate more points towards achieving the soul."
At that time, Yang Huaizun didn't seem to notice anything strange, and said matter-of-factly: "Who would have expected that my precious medicine would be taken away by Xu Zhuang first? Not only do I want to avenge this, I also want to seize Xu Zhuang's blessings to provide me with the materials to become a Taoist..."
Although the Tianhuo Sect is not one of the three sects, it is still the right path of Xuanmen. The Yang family is also a prominent family in the sect that has been passed down for a long time. How can Yang Huaizun be allowed to speak against human ethics?
The eldest father immediately became furious and scolded Yang Huaizun and drove him back.
In fact, she felt that her eldest father was very forgiving for not punishing Yang Huaizun. How could she have expected that today he would dare to come again and say such words.
Could it be that he still thought that he could talk nonsense in front of his great father and hide the truth?
Seeing the sincerity in Yang Huaizun's expression, the old woman felt a sense of ridiculousness and disbelief in her heart.
She thought about it for a few times, but seeing that her eldest father still hadn't responded, she still sighed softly and followed Yang Huaizun's words: "But using the Dharma to refine the Yuan Qi is harmful to the achievement of the Yuan Shen. Isn't this putting the cart before the horse? "
Yang Huaizun said firmly: "The harm caused by the Dharma's Yuan Qi can be gradually eliminated in the future. If I can't relieve the depression in my heart, I will truly have no hope of Yuan Qi."
"..." The old woman was still waiting to say anything, but her expression suddenly changed.
"That's enough." A faint voice came from above, interrupting the conversation between the two, and said calmly: "Huaizun, you have begged me three times, I ask you one last time, are you still stubborn?"
The old woman was shocked, but Yang Huaizun raised his head fiercely, with joy in his eyes, and responded loudly: "Yes, please give me the Dharma Prime Minister Yuan Qi."
"..."
Halfway up the wall, there seemed to be a faint sigh, but no more words were said.
Boom!
Suddenly there was a sound, and then a rustle, and then the huge statue slowly raised its right arm to the ground and pointed towards Yang Huaizun!
Yang Huaizun looked directly at the Dharma, and suddenly his mind moved and clouds rose from the top of the door. The next moment, a cloud of strong fire energy fell like rain, accurately pouring into the sky.
Yang Huaizun's face showed an excited look, and the cloud spread out in the sky and swallowed up the flaming whale. Yang Huaizun groaned and couldn't help but take half a step back.
The intensity of the energy of the Dharma Aspect seemed to be beyond Yang Huaizun's expectation. His complexion suddenly turned red, and two lines of blood flowed from his nose orifice. It flowed across his lips, teeth, and jaw and neck in a short time, and it was still unstoppable.
After a long while, Yang Huaizun came to his senses. His eyes were not surprised but happy, he cupped his hands and said, "Thank you, uncle, for the generous gift."
The Taoist on the stage just said lightly: "Go."
Without further delay, Yang Huaizun bowed and walked down from the altar with heavy steps.
"Big Father!" Only then did the old woman speak again and asked, "Why did you agree to Big Brother's request?"
The Taoist on the stage never looked back and responded coldly: "The first time I said that I wanted to seize my son's fortune, the second time I said I wanted to kill my son to make elixirs, the third time I suddenly felt sincere and sincere, the love between father and son is deep, if I don't avenge this, I vow to never become a Taoist." . It’s for different reasons every day, confusing and unaware.”
"He has become completely obsessed with illusions and has become paranoid and unable to extricate himself. Only by taking revenge can there be a glimmer of hope to break through the illusions and return to the right path."
"What?" The old woman's face trembled, and she said in shock: "That's why... is it really so scary to be surrounded by illusions?"
The Taoist on the stage didn't seem to want to say anything more and didn't answer any more. He just said lightly: "You can go down too."
The old woman did not dare to disobey and bowed in salute. As she left quickly, the light above the altar was suddenly extinguished, and darkness and silence returned to the cave.
After an unknown amount of time, a faint voice suddenly sounded in the air:
"Is it possible that the Taoism of our Heavenly Fire Sect is rarely authentic? Why do the talented people in our sect always become paranoid and become demons whenever they are entangled in falsehoods?"
…
Yang Huaizun came out of the cave. Outside the cave was a clear spring with a radius of about ten feet. The water was completely clear and warm air could be seen coming up from the holes at the bottom of the pool.
A fallen leaf floated to the surface of the water, and with a slight touch, it suddenly burned up as if it were touching magma. Yang Huaizun's face did not change, and he walked casually across the water.
There was a small pavilion built on the opposite bank of the pool, waiting for a strange Taoist priest with short hair that did not reach his ears. When he saw Yang Huaizun coming out, he hurriedly stepped forward and saluted, saying: "My father-in-law!"
Without waiting for Yang Huaizun to respond, he saw that something was wrong with Yang Huaizun. His face seemed to be covered with a layer of red turbidity, like a red-hot furnace. His footsteps were also very heavy, but he was not surprised but overjoyed. He said: "Congratulations, father-in-law, for finally receiving the gift from the ancestor." Law."
Yang Huaizun's face softened a little, and he nodded slowly and said: "Shengyun, please release the Red Cloud Raft and take me back."
When Hou Shengyun heard the sound, he didn't say much to ask. He flicked his sleeves and released a ray of light. Zhulan's billowing clouds spread out on the ground, took the two of them up and fled in the air.
The Chiyun Raft went all the way to the west, and returned to Yang Huaizun's cave in a short time. It went straight into the hall. It was deserted inside, but neither of them paid it any attention.
After Yang Huaizun sat on the main seat, Hou Shengyun personally poured some tea for him and asked, "Now that my father-in-law has received the Dharma from the Patriarch, will he be able to avenge himself?"
Yang Huaizun's eyes turned cold and he said: "Last time, Xu Zhuang was only slightly better than me. Now that I have received the Dharma from the Patriarch, as long as I practice it for a period of time, he will no longer be my opponent."
Hou Shengyun said happily: "Congratulations to my father-in-law."
He thought for a while and then asked: "But if Xu Zhuang is hiding in Yunmengze, how can the father-in-law get rid of him?"
"Humph." Yang Huaizun smiled inexplicably and his eyes fell on Hou Shengyun's face. His heart suddenly tightened when he heard Yang Huaizun say: "Shengyun, I still need your help in this matter."
Hou Shengyun laughed sarcastically and asked, "May I ask my father-in-law, what do you want your son-in-law to do?"
Yang Huaizun said coldly: "There are three disciples in Xu Zhuang. If you kill one of them at will, you will be able to lure him out."
Hou Shengyun wanted to give himself a slap and slap him to death. Why did he ask more questions? He said with a sad face: "My father-in-law, although my son-in-law is not talented, he has made a golden elixir after all. If he takes action against a junior, I'm afraid he is too inexperienced." I won’t let my son-in-law go.”
Yang Huaizun asked doubtfully: "When Xu Zhuang Tathagata comes to look for you, I will kill him. Isn't this just right?"
"Or are you saying you don't want to help me?"
Hou Shengyun shivered and responded tremblingly: "My son-in-law doesn't dare."
——
Perhaps the passage of time is the truly eternal thing in the world.
Yuan Hao carried a long sword on his back and climbed up to Chaoyuan Peak. He saw flowers arranged in brocade, weeds spread blue, streams falling in succession, and streams and clouds as leisurely as clouds.
As expected, it is worthy of the Heavenly Craftsmanship Peak, which is indeed better than the rooftop view.
"Senior Brother Zhou has really made a high-grade golden elixir." He thought.
Zhou Jun traveled away from the mountains, just like his senior brother Li Changfeng, who spent many years there. After that, his third junior brother Qin Dengxiao did the same...
Sometimes Yuan Hao felt that maybe people like them were the real seekers of the Tao. In order to become the top-grade golden elixir, they could travel around the world alone and experience countless wonderful experiences.
After three people left one after another, he practiced alone in the sect until he reached perfection. He also specialized in swordsmanship and Taoism. It was only when he had no way forward that he finally left the mountain and traveled, but he hadn't gone very far. Already tired of it.
After all, the land of Shenzhou is dominated by the human race, and the same is true in the world of cultivation. Even if you are Taisu Zhengzong, there seems to be no one of his kind who can cultivate Taoism with a monster body like him. The spiritual beasts and birds raised in the sect are not the same concept as the disciples.
It is true that he was not treated differently in the Taisu Zongzong, but after truly traveling away from the mountain, he realized that as a demon, even if he wore Taisu Taoist robes, he would be looked down upon by others.
At this time, I actually heard the news that Zhou Jun had returned to the sect after achieving the high-grade golden elixir.
"Master, please wait in the hall for a moment. The master will be here later." Yuan Hao followed the boy's guidance and sat down in the lobby. He looked at the spiritual fruit fairy tea brought by the maid. This kind of good thing he and Zhou Jun had received in the presence of his master when they were young. Every time you taste it, you will be amazed.
"And it's the first-class scenery in Shenzhou." He thought of the scene when he returned to Yunmengze.
Taisu Zhengzong put a lot of effort into Zhou Jun's Golden Elixir Ceremony. Even the Taixuan Zhengzong in the past could not compare to the grand occasion. Thousands of monks came to the court, and Taoist disciples from all over the world came to congratulate them. They were able to get an invitation from Taisu Zhengzong. The monks who have posted, even the lowest seat, are enough to brag about, and I don’t know how many people are envious of them.
"Junior Brother Yuan." Yuan Hao was thinking about it when suddenly a voice came from his ear. Zhou Jun appeared behind him at some point and slapped his shoulder fiercely, as if he wanted to scare him. Seeing that Yuan Hao didn't respond, Zhou Jun slapped him. He scratched his chin and said with a smile: "Junior brother Yuan, you are calm."
Yuan Hao rolled his eyes, put aside Zhou Jun's hand, and then solemnly said: "Congratulations to senior brother for becoming a top-grade elixir and being promoted to the true inheritance." Then he took out a jade box from his sleeve.
Zhou Jun smiled slightly and did not shy away. He formally returned the gift and took the jade box, saying: "Thank you, junior brother." Then he sat down and asked, "When I came back to the mountain, I heard that junior brother was traveling. I thought you You will miss my ceremony, but I didn’t expect you to rush back all the way.”
Yuan Hao smiled, picked up the tea cup and took a sip. Only then did Zhou Jun realize that he had not moved at all about the spiritual fruit on the case, and he couldn't help but raise his eyebrows.
"After all, I don't want to miss Senior Brother's Golden Elixir Ceremony," Yuan Hao said.
Zhou Jun nodded and asked: "When the ceremony is over, will junior brother have to travel again?"
Yuan Hao lowered his head and stared at the tea cup, and said calmly: "That's all."
"That's all?" Zhou Jun asked: "Working behind closed doors is not the right way."
Yuan Hao drank the tea in one gulp and said: "I will stay at the door and try my best to increase my merits. When I feel complete, I will ask the master for a great medicine to form a middle-grade golden elixir. "
Compared with his peers, it was difficult for him to practice Taoism. Even with the kindness of his mentor, the elders and experts in the sect were willing to teach him, and occasionally he could receive personal guidance from his master, his progress was not fast;
Li Changfeng personally taught him how to practice swordsmanship, and he could also learn the profound secrets of sect swordsmanship from his master. He could still achieve great results when he was in Daoji. He didn't expect that after he was promoted to refining, he would be able to pass the competition with all his strength. , thrown into countless Taisu disciples, the most he can say is that his ability is mediocre;
Yuan Hao felt that he was able to obtain the middle-grade golden elixir only because of his master's grace. There were many disciples of his own level among Taisu who had to work hard to accumulate good deeds in order to obtain the low-grade golden elixir in the hope of redeeming the great condensation elixir. medicine.
"This?" Zhou Jun frowned. Seeing that he seemed to have made up his mind, he changed the subject and said, "The days ahead are long, so why be anxious? We should consider the long term in the future."
Yuan Hao didn't hesitate and responded calmly: "What you said is true." Then he said instead: "Senior Brother's Golden Elixir Ceremony will be held soon. I wonder if Senior Brother will come back to participate."
After Yuan Hao returned to the sect, he made a special trip back to Chongyun Peak. As expected, neither Li Changfeng nor Qin Dengxiao returned.
Forget it about Qin Dengxiao. He may not have been away from the mountain for long, and he is not familiar with Zhou Jun.
Li Changfeng, however, was determined to travel around Xuanhuang and pursue the opportunity of high-grade golden elixirs. He never returned since he left the mountain gate. For more than 20 years, except for a letter that came back, telling the story of his travels to Taixuan Continent in Xisu, there was no news from him.
Zhou Jun said happily: "Junior brother, there is no need to worry. I have received the congratulatory gift from Senior Brother Li in advance. As for whether he will come back to attend the ceremony, he said that he needs to look at the end of the matter at hand before making a decision."
Yuan Hao raised his eyebrows and said, "Good."
(End of chapter)
