Chapter 400
Fang Yuan looked at her master with a sense of grievance, only to see him point toward a figure in the distance. Though he didn’t say a word, she immediately understood—
The figure was a somewhat plump middle-aged man, a Yuanying (元婴, Nascent Soul) cultivator, the very sect leader who had forced them to come here. His surname was Chen, and he had been rather dismissive throughout their journey.
To be fair, Fang Yuan thought it was quite normal for a Yuanying Zhenren (真人, True Person) to overlook her and her master.
But at that moment, he stood before a disciple from Tongming Mountain, smiling amiably.
Fang Yuan hadn’t expected that the stern face she had seen all along could look so endearingly foolish…
Clearly, the disciple from Tongming Mountain wasn’t very high in cultivation either, seemingly at the same level as her master, both being Jindan (金丹, Golden Core) cultivators.
Yet, Chen Zongmen (掌门, Sect Leader) was lowering himself considerably.
“May I have the honor of meeting Shang Kong (上人, Master)?” he asked.
“…”
The disciple remained silent, merely watching him.
“Then… what about Tongming Shangren (上人, Master)?”
Chen Zongmen pulled out a storage bag and slipped it into the disciple’s sleeve, persistently trying to curry favor.
“The Master is currently entertaining several high-ranking cultivators. If he has time…”
The disciple paused.
Chen Zongmen quickly produced another storage bag, eagerly adding, “Please let me know when you can, so I can pay my respects…”
The disciple touched the storage bag, nodded in satisfaction, and beamed as he led them up the mountain.
As they walked, he enthusiastically explained, “Tongming Shangren is a high envoy from the Taishang Dao (太上道, Supreme Way). Who dares to claim they can see his esteemed face, except for the Huashen (化神, Transformation) masters?”
“Of course…”
“There are three Huashen attending this conference, and nearly a hundred Yuanying on Tongming Mountain. How could the Master possibly entertain them all?”
Chen Zongmen hurriedly flattered, “The Master is busy with important matters, but I have always admired him…”
“Many people admire the Master. If it weren’t for you…”
The disciple chuckled.
Chen Zongmen wore a foolish grin, as if he hadn’t understood a word.
Fang Yuan, witnessing this sordid transaction from behind, couldn’t help but feel a bit dumbfounded.
Just then, she heard a soft sigh beside her. Turning around, she saw her master sighing gloomily, a hint of self-pity in his expression. Suddenly, she understood—her own cultivation level didn’t even qualify her to offer gifts.
With that thought, she reflected on her own helpless situation, her expression growing somber.
As they continued up the mountain, a bell tolled from high above. They looked up to see the Sun and Moon Bell hanging in the air, as Zheng Fa (郑法) descended with dozens of disciples from his sect at the foot of Tongming Mountain.
Fang Yuan curiously glanced over, noticing that Zheng Fa was merely a Jindan cultivator, yet he was accompanied by several terrifyingly powerful cultivators. She couldn’t help but wonder how this young man had secured such a prominent position.
While she was still pondering, a hearty laugh echoed from Tongming Mountain. In the blink of an eye, a figure shot down from the mountain and landed before the young man.
“Tongming Shangren?” she heard Chen Zongmen exclaim in surprise.
So this was Tongming Shangren, the leader of Tongming Mountain and the head of the Hundred Immortals Alliance?
Suddenly, the area fell silent. Thousands of cultivators stared at Tongming Shangren, bewildered as to why this Huashen master, who had just been looking down from the mountain peak, had now come out to greet them.
Fang Yuan felt a strange familiarity in the smile on Tongming Shangren’s face… It resembled the smile of the disciple who had just received the storage bag.
“Zheng Zongmen!” Tongming Shangren said to the young man, “We at Tongming Mountain have been eagerly awaiting your arrival!”
He took Zheng Fa by the arm, beaming with camaraderie.
“I’ll take you to meet Shang Kong first, then we can arrange accommodations for your disciples. He has asked about you several times; it’s best you meet him first.”
Seeing Tongming Shangren treating Zheng Fa as if he were a welcoming disciple, even the worldly-wise Chen Zongmen looked momentarily dumbfounded.
He stared at the Tongming disciple before him, a deep confusion crossing his face. “Isn’t the Master busy entertaining several high-ranking cultivators?”
“…”
“Didn’t you say that Shang Kong only meets with Huashen?”
The Tongming disciple twitched his mouth, glanced at him, and replied, “That’s Jiushan Zheng Fa.”
Chen Zongmen froze, suddenly wearing a look of realization, as if he had heard that name before, and all his questions vanished.
“Jiushan Zheng Fa?”
Fang Yuan mulled over the name for a moment, then looked up to see Chen Zongmen’s expression, which bore a striking resemblance to her master’s just moments ago—
Somber, yet filled with respect.
(End of this chapter)
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**Chapter 338: A Chicken Among Cranes, Task Allocation**
Watching Zheng Fa and the others fly into Tongming Mountain with Tongming Shangren, Chen Zongmen’s fingers twitched, and he slipped another storage bag into the disciple’s sleeve.
At this point, not only Fang Yuan and her master, but even the disciple looked utterly bewildered—this gift came out of nowhere!
“Could you please find out which counties Jiushan Sect will be assigned to? I’d like to follow along…”
Upon hearing this, the Tongming disciple’s gaze toward Chen Zongmen instantly filled with respect.
Even Fang Yuan understood Chen Zongmen’s calculation—
With Tongming Shangren valuing Zheng Fa so highly, following Jiushan Sect would ensure safety!
…
Zheng Fa, of course, was unaware of all this. After settling the Jiushan Sect disciples in their guest quarters, he followed Senior Sister Zhang as Tongming Shangren led them toward the main hall of Tongming Mountain.
“You Jiushan Sect arrived a bit late. Currently, aside from the five Huashen from the Xuanwei Five Sects, three other Huashen have also come, along with about ten Yuanying cultivators, all discussing matters in the hall.”
“Three Huashen?” Zheng Fa was taken aback.
Tongming Shangren was the only Huashen in the Hundred Immortals Alliance, bold enough to occupy such a large area and even proclaim the Xuanwei Sixth Sect’s banner.
Now, there were suddenly three more Huashen?
Where did they spring from?
“Two of them are like me,” Tongming Shangren said with a smile, hinting at something.
“Like you, Master…” Zheng Fa murmured, understanding the implication—these were disciples of the Taishang Dao.
With that, Taishang Dao had already fielded four Huashen for this battle.
This was bound to pressure the Xuanwei Five Sects, making them reconsider their potential…
“I don’t know the origins of the other one,” Tongming Shangren continued, “As for the ten or so high-ranking cultivators, they are the leaders or elders of nearby sects.”
Zheng Fa nodded in agreement.
In the Xuanwei realm, high-ranking cultivators referred to those in the late Yuanying stage. While they were certainly strong, they were not on the same level as Huashen:
Jiushan Sect was a prime example; they had plenty of Yuanying legacies but had never even brushed against a Huashen before.
As they walked, Zheng Fa found himself gaining more insight:
Before they even entered the main hall, he caught a whiff of a fragrance that penetrated the soul, making his internal Daoist talisman quiver with delight. Following the scent, he saw dozens of beautiful female cultivators dressed in light white garments, standing motionless against the walls of the hall, holding lanterns as if illuminating the space.
The fragrance emanated from these lanterns.
“Mingdao Candle,” Senior Sister Zhang suddenly whispered, her usually cold eyes now filled with astonishment.
Zheng Fa understood her surprise; Mingdao Candles were incredibly precious in the Xuanwei realm—rumor had it that lighting one could accelerate cultivation speed, and more importantly, it invigorated spiritual energy, aiding cultivators in breaking through.
This item even had some effect on Yuanying cultivators.
Its value was truly remarkable.
Zheng Fa inexplicably felt a pang of heartache—though he presided over Jiushan Realm, he had never indulged in such extravagance…
After all, he had to cultivate far more disciples than an ordinary sect.
He glanced at the female cultivators, his astonishment deepening—many of them had participated in the Hundred Immortals Conference, and most were Jindan disciples, meaning they were the cream of the crop among the next generation of the Hundred Immortals Alliance. Yet here they were, serving as attendants?
But looking at the expressions of these female disciples, they seemed proud of their roles.
Zheng Fa realized—those seated in the hall were at least high-ranking cultivators, so it was only natural that Jindan disciples had no seats.
More importantly, while they were acting as lantern bearers, they could still absorb some of the candle’s essence, and being close might even yield more.
In practical terms, it was a fair trade.
As they entered the hall, the hierarchy among the cultivators became even clearer.
At the highest position sat Shang Kong and seven other Huashen, while the other ten or so high-ranking cultivators were seated closer to the entrance.
Each person had a low table in front of them, adorned with fine spirit wine, spirit fruits, and spirit beast meat, all of which were clearly high-quality materials, befitting the status of these Yuanying and Huashen cultivators.
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