"Since you've been chosen, there's no helping it. Go with peace of mind." Dongyang Zhenren said reassuringly, "Although I, your master, have never met that Cizang Daojun before, judging by his Taoist title alone, he's likely a kind and benevolent elder. If you go, just be dutiful and don't strive to stand out in everything, that should suffice."
Alright then, no use resisting when things have come to this. Liao Tingyan summoned the psychological resilience of a modern office worker—slow down her mindset, take everything lightly. There's no hurdle in life that can't be overcome, and if there is, just lie down. After all, whether you're lying at the finish line or the starting point, what difference does it make where you lie?
Once you let go, nothing really matters.
While waiting for the ancestor to emerge from seclusion, Liao Tingyan noticed that everyone in the sect was indeed preoccupied with this matter. Their Clear Valley Heaven lineage, a small and often overlooked place, had suddenly become lively because of her selection—like a small-town high school producing the top provincial exam scorer.
Many couldn't understand why Liao Tingyan had been chosen. Logically, there were so many female disciples eligible for selection, and many who weren't chosen were more outstanding than her. Liao Tingyan herself had no idea how she'd been selected either; the whole process had been a blur of mist and radiance to her. The senior and junior sisters who came to probe for information could only leave disappointed.
"I heard that both White Emperor Mountain and Red Water Abyss have sent people to attend Cizang Daojun's seclusion-ending ceremony."
"It's not just White Emperor Mountain and Red Water Abyss—all those major and minor sects would love to come, but they have to see if they're qualified. I heard this seclusion-ending ceremony won't allow outsiders to participate. Only the disciples within our Gengchen Immortal Mansion, the masters of various palaces, Grotto-heavens, and lineages can personally go to Three Sage Mountain to welcome Cizang Daojun. Everyone else has to stay at the foot of the mountain, and people from other sects aren't even allowed to approach."
"Then Senior Sister Liao should be able to go, right? She's one of the hundred disciples chosen to serve Cizang Daojun." The young disciples spoke enviously, casting glances at Liao Tingyan.
Under their expectant gazes, Liao Tingyan nodded, "Yes, I should be able to see him."
"I wonder what kind of person Cizang Daojun is. I'd love to see him too, but unfortunately, us young disciples can only handle greetings and farewells outside—we're not qualified to see the Taoist Lord in person."
"Senior Sister Liao, if you see him, will you tell us about it later?"
"Sure thing," Liao Tingyan readily agreed. In her mind, that ancestor was probably an elderly man with flowing white hair and a beard so long it matched his age. Or, judging by his Taoist title, he might have a kindly face—broad forehead, thick earlobes, perhaps even a red mole between his eyebrows, like a bodhisattva.
After being approached so often, she started feeling like she was about to meet a national leader, and a sense of anticipation gradually grew in her. This was truly a grand occasion.
In this world of cultivation, where demons, ghosts, and immortals existed, Cizang Daojun, as one of the most powerful beings, commanded immense prestige. On the day he was finally to emerge from seclusion, the entire Gengchen Immortal Mansion buzzed with excitement as if boiling over.
Early in the morning, Liao Tingyan saw the eastern clouds flowing in magnificent hues—not a natural phenomenon, but a spectacle created by the mansion's disciples using magical artifacts to manipulate the clouds. Altering celestial phenomena wasn't an easy feat, but only an institution as extravagant as Gengchen Immortal Mansion would deploy so many disciples just to set the stage and enhance the atmosphere.From time to time, enormous cranes and magnificent birds would soar past, carrying pavilions on their backs to transport guests and other disciples who had come to observe the ceremony.
The air was filled with flowing mist-like formations—these were manifestations of condensed spiritual power. The elders had opened the underground spiritual veins of Gengchen Immortal Mansion, causing the spiritual energy to surge upward and form these ethereal mists. Plants and spirit herbs bathed in this mist exuded an intoxicating fragrance, while those enveloped in it felt their pores open, their bodies light and euphoric.
Liao Tingyan had been here for several days, troubled by her inability to cultivate properly. Yet, immersed in this spiritual mist, she was astonished to find her body naturally absorbing the gentle spiritual energy. Her entire being warmed, and her mind grew clearer than ever.
For the first time, she thought: Cultivation feels absolutely amazing.
Unfortunately, she couldn’t indulge in this practice indefinitely. As a flag-bearer—no, as a candidate attendant—she had to meet the big boss, the legendary sect leader, before heading to Three Sage Mountain for worship. The sect leader would give them a briefing.
She wasn’t wearing Clear Valley Heaven’s standard green robes but a white dress issued to her—uniform attire for all one hundred female disciples.
As usual, her master escorted her to the assembly hall. Over the past few days, her senior brothers had been brimming with pride, but her master showed no visible joy. After delivering her to the gathering hall, he anxiously reminded her not to provoke conflicts with others.
More like a father than her actual father.
The hall Liao Tingyan entered was the most magnificent she had ever seen. The high dome ceiling was adorned with countless relief carvings of celestial beings, embellished with colorful gems and intricate paintings—a dazzling spectacle. Golden lanterns shaped like auspicious cranes, several times a person’s height, stood beside jade pillars carved with cloud motifs. The polished floor, made of some unknown material, was thick and unyielding, reflecting the bright lights of the hall like a mirrored world.
A few others, like Liao Tingyan, were also marveling at their surroundings, but they quickly composed themselves and stood properly in the center of the hall. On the elevated glazed lotus pedestals within the hall, several indistinct figures gradually materialized—the big boss hadn’t come in person, only sending projected clones.
Liao Tingyan: A video conference. Nice.
The mysterious sect leader at the center spoke in a solemn voice, "You have gathered here today so I may impart some words of caution. Once you step beyond these doors, you must never speak of this to anyone else."
"After Taoist Lord Cizang emerges from seclusion, you will be sent to Three Sage Mountain. Once there, you must strive to earn his favor. Whoever succeeds will receive rewards beyond what was previously promised—benefits multiplied a thousandfold, and even the lineage you hail from will gain unparalleled glory. And everything concerning Taoist Lord Cizang, you must report back."
Liao Tingyan: ...This sounds a bit shady.
"Taoist Lord Cizang is no ordinary man. You must serve him with utmost care and diligence. Do not, under any circumstances, provoke his anger! Otherwise, death will be your only fate!"
Liao Tingyan began to feel nervous. What’s this about? Wasn’t he supposed to be a gentle, elder ancestor? Why does it sound like there’s a risk to my life?!
Unfortunately, even if she was afraid now, there was no backing out. After the sect leader finished his speech, he waved his sleeve and led the group away from the hall—straight to Three Sage Mountain.This technique of "Sleeve-Cosmos" was incredibly profound, transporting a hundred people simultaneously and covering a hundred miles in the blink of an eye. Liao Tingyan only felt her vision darken momentarily, and when she opened her eyes again—a mere two seconds later—she found herself standing in a completely different place.
"Is this the Three Sage Mountain?"
The woman beside her—whether a senior sister or aunt, she couldn’t tell—was staring at the mountain ahead, so overwhelmed with excitement she seemed on the verge of fainting. Liao Tingyan grew nervous, fearing the woman might actually pass out from sheer emotion.
The Three Sage Mountain before them was the most unique, significant, and mysterious spiritual mountain in the Gengchen Immortal Mansion, even surpassing the grandeur of the sect leader’s own Tai Xuan Peak. Legend had it that the mountain earned its name because the three earliest sages of the Gengchen Immortal Mansion, who had ascended to divinity, had cultivated here before their ascension.
And now, due to Taoist Lord Cizang’s seclusion, the entire Three Sage Mountain had been sealed for five hundred years, with no one permitted to enter.
Ahead lay the Three Sage Mountain, shrouded in mist and glowing with spiritual light. Behind them stretched a sea of people—disciples of the Gengchen Immortal Mansion, all distinguished figures, standing in orderly rows with fervent expressions as they waited patiently. Above them in the sky hovered the sect’s most powerful experts and the ruling Palace Masters and sect leaders, their faces indistinct, also waiting.
It felt a bit like a military parade, or like the scenes from Journey to the West she’d watched as a child—celestial soldiers and generals standing atop layers of clouds, waiting for the Monkey King.
The thought made Liao Tingyan chuckle to herself. When nervous, her imagination tended to run wild, conjuring up such vivid scenarios.
"Boom—Boom—Dong—"
Under the intense gaze of tens of thousands, the Three Sage Mountain suddenly resonated with the deep tolling of bells and chimes, followed by tremors that shook the earth. An invisible ripple seemed to radiate outward from the mountain in all directions.
Liao Tingyan, standing relatively close, felt her mind go blank for a moment before a warm trickle dripped from her nose.
Liao Tingyan: "...Damn, I’m bleeding."
She wasn’t the worst off, though. The most pitiful were the high-ranking leaders floating above. A streak of light flashed past, and they all let out agonized cries as they were sent flying. Two even stumbled and landed right in front of the formation of female disciples. Liao Tingyan clearly saw the middle-aged man presumed to be the sect leader vomit a mouthful of blood before dropping to his knees and shouting, "Elder, please calm your wrath!"
If even the sect leader was kneeling, who could refuse to follow suit? Though no one knew why their revered ancestor seemed so furious, the crowd immediately dropped to their knees in unison, pleading, "Elder, please calm your wrath!"
The collective voices of so many shook the surroundings, yet even over the din, everyone clearly heard a cold, mocking laugh.
It was a laugh brimming with displeasure and malice.
"When I emerge, you will all die."
Presumably, these were the words of the ancient ancestor within the Three Sage Mountain.
Liao Tingyan: "..." Wait, are you sure this ancestor is from the righteous path and not some demonic sect? Your ancestor sounds like he’s about to murder someone! That "Ci" in Taoist Lord Cizang’s name doesn’t seem to mean "compassionate," does it?
Liao Tingyan wasn’t the only one panicking. The sect leader, several Palace Masters, and the older Grotto-heaven lords were even more frantic. While the disciples didn’t understand why their ancestor was so hostile, these elders, with their millennia of life experience, knew the reason all too well—and it left them with a bitter taste in their mouths.How could it be that after five hundred years, this ancestor not only hasn't restrained himself but has become even more terrifying! If this matter isn't resolved, their Gengchen Immortal Mansion—this great sect that has endured for hundreds of thousands of years—might very well end in their generation. What face would they have to meet their ancestors then?
The sect leader could no longer afford to hesitate. This ancestor's anger was far greater than they had imagined, and he could only prepare for the worst.
"Grandmaster, five hundred years ago, shortly after you entered seclusion, Master passed away from old age. Before his departure, he left a letter for you, hoping it could be presented to you in person," the sect leader said respectfully, kneeling on the steps before Three Sage Mountain, a far cry from the imposing figure he had been before the disciples.
But no one cared about that now. Everyone was straining their ears to catch any sound from the ancestor.
"Enter."
The sect leader rose and stepped into the mist-shrouded Three Sage Mountain, leaving the disciples outside eagerly awaiting news.
Liao Tingyan pondered. The ancestor's voice didn't sound old at all—not only not old, but even quite youthful. It just sounded... fierce.
Before long, the mist suddenly dispersed, revealing the true face of Three Sage Mountain to the crowd.
Three Sage Mountain had been sealed for five hundred years, and the younger disciples had never seen its true appearance. Now that they did, every one of them stared wide-eyed. The massive mountain was devoid of any vegetation, entirely paved with jade stones arranged in an arcane pattern, forming intricate designs. At first glance, it appeared as a single entity, but upon closer inspection, it seemed to contain countless formations.
At the mountain's peak stood a circular complex of palace buildings, varying in height, surrounding a central tower. With golden tiles and red walls, it looked exceedingly luxurious—except for the hundreds of pitch-black iron pillars erected around the palace, wrapped in massive black chains that tightly bound the central tower. Floating above the tower was a giant sealed jade tablet inscribed with talismanic script.
This setup, which seemed designed to imprison something terrifying, didn't look like a place for secluded cultivation at all. It more closely resembled the "Five Elements Mountain" used to suppress the Monkey King.
Liao Tingyan had an epiphany. Glancing at the crowd of stunning beauties around her, she suddenly felt a headache coming on. If this ancestor was a "Great Sage Equal to Heaven," why wasn't he looking for a Tang Monk or a Buddha? What use was there in summoning a bunch of White Bone Spirits, Snake demons, and Peacock Princesses? Were they meant to be sacrificial offerings to appease the ancestor's wrath?
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