Stop it, Taoist, Your Fight almost Ruins the DAO!

Yi Chen straightened his clothes and pushed the door open, walking slowly into the great hall.

Contrary to his expectations, before he stepped into the great hall, he had imagined that the Celestial Master Hall would certainly be a heavenly court on earth, epitomizing opulence.

Not to mention stairs made of gold and jade, or purple pillars and golden beams—there should at least have been beautifully carved rafters and painted eaves to uphold the grandeur, right?

Yet, what met his eyes greatly surprised Yi Chen.

The design unexpectedly followed a minimalist style.

The great hall was divided into a front and a back section, the latter veiled by curtains with mist swirling behind them, concealing the details, only indicating that there were Daoists meditating in seclusion.

In the front hall, there were only several bare mats, a ritual table, and two ever-burning lamps flickering gently.

Looking up, one could see the memorial tablets of past Heavenly Masters.

Further back stood the statues of the first Heavenly Master and the Ancestor of Daoism.

However, the statue of the first Heavenly Master was that of a faceless Daoist.

There were no gold and jade embellishments, only clay and wood.

At that scene, Yi Chen thought for a moment and then came to understand.

With the reputation and strength of Dragon Tiger Mountain, there was simply no need to adorn superficial things to maintain its façade.

It's like the wealthy commoners of the past—who would dare belittle them even if they wore a simple pair of cloth shoes? If they wrapped themselves in a burlap sack, you'd think you were mistaken and that it was the newest fashion from Paris.

"This unworthy successor, Yi Chengzi of Hidden Dragon Temple, pays respect to the Heavenly Master." Yi Chen deeply bowed to the thin Daoist and placed the jade card he had received from Yin Manor, the letter, and the original text of the Yin Yang Cave Divine Pupil Technique onto the ritual table.

The thin Daoist glanced at the items on the table, picked up the three things, and scrutinized them carefully. After his expression changed, he gathered them into the large sleeves of his robe.

In front of the ritual table, the thin Daoist standing with hands clasped behind his back spoke with a smile:

"This humble Daoist is the current Heavenly Master Zhang Taichu of Dragon Tiger Mountain."

"Young friend, are you wondering why the statue of the first Heavenly Master has no face?"

Without waiting for Yi Chen to answer, Zhang Taichu began to talk to himself, a look of reminiscence on his face: "I once asked my elder brother-disciple, who is the previous Heavenly Master Zhang Ji Shi. He explained to me that the great Dao is formless, and naturally, so should the Heavenly Master be faceless."

"Anyone can be the Heavenly Master, rather than always having the same face."

"Hence, the Heavenly Master is faceless."

The words of the old Heavenly Master carried an enigmatic meaning, seeming to imply something while also appearing to be offering guidance to Yi Chen.

Yi Chen: "....." Don't give me such strange advice; are you enlightening me? I'm a simple man; I can't understand a word, old Heavenly Master.

After thinking for a moment, Yi Chen decided to be a flatterer. He put on an awkward yet polite smile and said:

"The Heavenly Master is correct!"

Hearing Yi Chen's reply, the thin Daoist was momentarily stunned, then couldn't help but show a trace of amusement on his face: "My young friend, you truly are interesting."

Upon first meeting Yi Chen, to express thanks for him travelling the great distance to return Zhang Ji Shi's jade card and letter, the old Heavenly Master deliberately used veiled language as a way to start a conversation, aiming to enlighten Yi Chen and prompt him to ask questions, so he could clarify and in return provide mentorship to the younger generation.

However, faced with Yi Chen's "The Heavenly Master is correct," he was unexpectedly at a loss for words.

"Young friend, what is your impression of my Dragon Tiger Mountain?" Perhaps because he'd never encountered someone who disregarded the usual formalities, like Yi Chen, the old Heavenly Master was suddenly intrigued and spoke again.

The old Heavenly Master also wants my opinion?

I'm just peeking through the window....

Yi Chen lamented internally yet his demeanor remained sincere.

He was well-acquainted with the story of Zou Ji who ironically advised the King of Qi.

"Whoever dares to criticize me to my face shall face execution; those who submit a written reprimand shall be subjected to castration; and those who dare mock me in public places, if their words reach me, shall be whipped."

Although the old Heavenly Master's tolerance surely surpassed that of the King of Qi, Yi Chen chose not to speak bombastic truths at their first meeting.

There's no harm in flattery.

Only a fool would earnestly point out advantages and disadvantages.

All he wanted was to get his hands on the original text of the "Great Genuine Qi of the Dragon Tiger Embracing Dan" as soon as possible.

After a pause to organize his thoughts, Yi Chen spoke:

"I am new to this esteemed mountain and not overly fond of it."

"Dragon Tiger Mountain is a place of extraordinary people and a spiritually charged land, valued by heaven and earth. The ancestors of each generation have been pillars of the Human Race, providing guidance in rightness, slaying demons, and clearing away evil mists."

"Past Heavenly Masters chose not to cast themselves in gold but to endure hardships instead, and in the vast Celestial Master Hall, there are merely two statues of the ancestors made of clay and wood, utterly simple, which fills me with the utmost admiration."

Yi Chen gazed intently at the two statues made of clay and wood in front of the great hall, his eyes revealing a look of high regard, particularly emphasizing the words "utterly simple."

The old Heavenly Master's expression turned strange immediately upon hearing this.

He thought for a moment but still did not reveal to Yi Chen that the two statues were indeed made of clay and wood, but the clay was primeval soil, a top-tier spiritual material, and the wood was known as Jianmu, which in these times had already become extinct.

At that moment, a thought suddenly crossed Zhang Taichu's mind.

"Something is amiss."

"This young man has a noteworthy cultivation. How could he not know that the statues in our Celestial Master mansion were made from primeval soil and Jianmu? His family's sect scriptures should have had records of it."

"And he specifically emphasized the words 'utterly simple.'"

Considering the current undercurrents of decline under the seemingly prosperous state of Dragon Tiger Mountain, as if in court, where ministers indulge in pleasure without regard for duty, his heart suddenly turned cold.

Perhaps due to the long-standing peace, the ancestors were too capable.

Today's Dragon Tiger Mountain was no longer succeeding from generation to generation; in fact, each generation was worse than the last, relying on Zhang Daoyi, this chief disciple, as a fig leaf, while many disciples relied on Dragon Tiger Mountain's reputation and their families' protection to take easy paths.

The Dragon Tiger Mountain of today hardly deserved the words "utterly simple"; it was more a case of being spoiled by delicacies and fineries, utterly extravagant.

"This young man must be criticizing the current faults of Dragon Tiger Mountain in a roundabout way. I had thought him to be slick, but he turns out to be quite astute and dares to speak directly."

In this world, there are plenty of shrewd people, yet few dare to criticize society's flaws, and even fewer possess both the courage and the ingenuity to do so.

For a moment, Zhang Taichu's impression of Yi Chen changed yet again; he thought back to that earlier phrase, "The Heavenly Master is right."

This person was clearly not oblivious to his hints; this was an earnest dedication to his own path.

Setting aside whether that was right or wrong, such audacity alone is worthy of praise.

Even the Buddha's son on Mount Daguangming would not refuse his teachings, Zhang Taichu.

And if he did refuse, he would not do so plainly and decisively.

"In heaven, fate is divided, yet man weaves his destiny."

"Even immortals speak in two ways, but true dao lies not in words but in actions."

"My young friend, you truly possess a good heart and great courage. It seems I have been presumptuous."

"Your future achievements may well surpass those of Zhang Daoyi."

Zhang Taichu expressed his complex feelings to Yi Chen.

It's a pity that this person is not a disciple of Dragon Tiger Mountain.

Who would have thought that in such a remote place, this insignificant city, a true dragon could emerge? Hidden Dragon Temple has indeed found a treasure.

Seeing the Heavenly Master's strange gaze, Yi Chen was momentarily taken aback.

Why does Heavenly Master Zhang Taichu always say things that he doesn't understand?

Ah ba ah ba.

Seeing Yi Chen's expression, Zhang Taichu chuckled and said:

"Young friend, stop pretending, I already understand your dao thoughts!"

"You came a long way to return my brother's belonging. Is there anything you need help with from Dragon Tiger Mountain?"

Zhang Taichu enunciated heavily when he spoke the first sentence.

Upon hearing this, Yi Chen couldn't help but beam with joy.

He had been waiting for these words.

Although he did not understand the meaning of the first sentence the thin Daoist said, he understood the second one clearly.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

I, Yi Chengzi, want a cultivation technique!

"I've long heard that 'The Great Dragon Tiger Supreme True Seal Divine Technique' of Dragon Tiger Mountain is unparalleled in the world."

Upon hearing this, the old Heavenly Master's face suddenly changed.

"Therefore, I wish to borrow the original scriptures of 'Dragon Tiger Embracing Pill Great True Qi' from your esteemed mountain for a look."

"I guarantee that I will not divulge the technique to others."

"I also want to learn about some of the secrets of Yin Manor from Dragon Tiger Mountain."

Yi Chen quickly spilled everything he wanted to say in the shortest time possible.

Only then did Zhang Taichu's expression return to normal, and he said with a meaningful tone, "Young friend, do you wish to use 'Dragon Tiger Embracing Pill Great True Qi' to trace back to the source and spy upon our mountain's primal method, 'The Great Dragon Tiger Supreme True Seal Divine Technique'?"

"As for this matter, I agree," Zhang Taichu considered for a moment before readily agreeing, not believing anyone could truly achieve this.

"As for the affairs of Yin Manor, I myself do not know much either. Before my brother left, he didn't leave many clues. After his disappearance, I have also explored extensively and only know that the origin of Yin Manor is extremely mysterious, with a great secret."

"In the past, it didn't even go by the name of Yin Manor and appeared in another form; this thing is actually in the midst of transformation."

"With the alterations of heaven and earth nowadays, whether Yin Manor will also change, I do not know.

Zhang Taichu then detailed the intelligence he had about Yin Manor to Yi Chen.

It was basically consistent with what Ma Tianyuan had said, only more detailed.

To put it in flowery literature: The situation is simply so, but as to what the situation is, it still depends on the situation...

"Young friend, you might find the specific details if you carefully browse through the Scripture Pavilion of Dragon Tiger Mountain. Perhaps there are things I've missed, and rumors may not be entirely true."

Perhaps feeling that he hadn't been of much help, Zhang Taichu seemed somewhat off, and he continued:

"Dragon Tiger Mountain is quite proficient in artifact refinement. If you have a magic artifact that suits you, our Dragon Tiger Mountain can reconstruct it for you, with materials provided by us."

"You can first visit the Scripture Pavilion, and in seven days it will be the minor contest of our Dragon Tiger Mountain's sect. At that time, I would like to invite you to compete with the champion of the contest, to discipline those brats and suppress the arrogant airs of these people."

"Would that be acceptable?"

Fine, that would be more than fine.

After thinking for a moment, Yi Chen readily agreed.

The Dragon-Slaying Sword might still be considered excellent among magic artifacts, but with the growth of his strength, it has long since become outdated.

Doing a job for Dragon Tiger Mountain, simply making an appearance, and competing with someone would get him a brand-new precious sword.

This is a good deal.

Having made up his mind, Yi Chen took out the Dragon-Slaying Sword from his storage ring.

The last time he had used the Dragon-Slaying Sword was for a dream, using it to take a swipe at the Mountain Lord he encountered in the dilapidated temple. That was also the origin of the Mountain Lord's long, narrow wound on his belly.

Now that Dragon Tiger Mountain was willing to enhance it for free, he was naturally eager to accept.

"This sword's foundation is not bad, and it has been well nurtured. Do you have any specific requirements?" Zhang Taichu nodded and asked.

"Big enough! Heavy enough! Durable enough!"

"It would be best if it were two meters long."

Yi Chen spread his arms wide, gesturing the size.