"Before the Divine Gate, thirty-six rounds, the blade mountain and sea of fire spare no life. Today the Northern Emperor opens the path of Dharma, one banner to safeguard the ages."
Zhang Fan chanted, and as the took root in the ground, it seed to imprint itself into Qin Ergou’s Primordial Spirit Inner Scenery, withstanding eternity, unyielding as the sun and moon.
"Passing the torch, life continues unceasingly. Today, I will pass this technique to you," Zhang Fan murmured softly.
This was the bond he ford, and as for the outco, only heaven and earth would know, as if gods observed from three feet above him.
Rumble...
His mind roared like thunder, as the view before him gradually clarified. He was still inside the thatched hut, but it was empty save for Qin Ergou.
"Brother Fan..."
Qin Ergou collected himself and suddenly dashed out of the house, calling loudly.
"Brother Fan... Brother Fan..."
"Brother Qi..."
His voice echoed at the foot of Toad Treasure Mountain, endlessly into the vast sky, deep mountains, seemingly alone, and what had just transpired seed like a dream, leaving him unsure of what was real or not.
"Zhang Fan..."
"Northern Emperor’s Great Banner!"
Qin Ergou sat dazedly on the ground, his mind conjuring the dharma aspect of the . He breathed heavily and instinctively practiced the technique, not knowing how much ti passed...
The sun set in the west, the moon rose in the east, and stars filled the sky.
Suddenly, Qin Ergou felt his forehead pulsate, and countless sounds surged around him.
The insects below the earth crawled, the grass and trees grew, mountain streams flowed, and even the wind seed to carry emotion...
"Daoist secrets, Primordial Spirit Awakening!"
"So this is the world’s true visage..."
Qin Ergou felt disoriented; at this mont, the world before him changed, stars no longer like stars, heavens and earth unlike how he knew them, and mountains were no longer mountains...
Truth and falsehood intertwined, who grasps the mystery, and who attains the Dao?
He beca increasingly entranced, feeling for the first ti life within him as he awakened to the Primordial Spirit, and all spiritual openings erged.
"Boy... boy..."
Then, urgent shouts ca from behind him.
Qin Ergou snapped back to reality, turning to see a group approaching from outside the mountain, led by a handso Daoist, beside him an extraordinary beautiful woman.
Two more n followed behind, also wearing Daoist Robes.
"Taoist Ma De?"
Qin Ergou’s eyes lit up, recognizing one of them.
He had applied to Zhongnan Mountain several tis, with five tis led by this Taoist Ma De.
"Hmm? Ma De, you know him?" Gu Chuan’Yin asked, turning.
"How would I know such a country boy?" Ma De shook his head.
"He seems to know you, could he be a relative?"
Beside them, soone chuckled lightly. During their last brief visit with Gu Chuan’Yin, they glimpsed the grass hut, not expecting anyone lived in such a remote place.
"Ask him if he knows the mountain conditions," ng Qiwu whispered.
Her main purpose this ti was searching for the exotic treasure of Laojun Mountain’s heir, rely helping Gu Chuan’Yin find it.
"Boy, do we know each other?" Ma De approached and asked.
"Taoist Ma De, we t during Zhongnan Mountain entrance exams... two months ago, I took the exam again, but didn’t pass..." Qin Ergou replied with a sincere smile.
"You applied to Zhongnan Mountain?" Ma De surveyed him.
To him, this rural fellow left no impression, nor could he fathom such a person becoming a Daoist, joining their Zhongnan Mountain.
"Taoist Ma De, you don’t recognize ?"
"Sowhat familiar," Ma De answered indifferently. "You’ve lived here all along?"
"Yes, our family has lived here for generations," Qin Ergou nodded.
"So you know the mountain well?" Ma De squinted slightly.
"Yes, I know all the trails." Qin Ergou nodded; he made his living as a mountain guide, aiding many travelers.
"Good, we have so business in the mountain, you’ll guide us," Ma De said lightly.
"If you perform well, I might introduce you to the sect."
"Really?" Qin Ergou’s eyes shone. It was his grandfather’s dying wish, hence his persistence after many failed attempts.
"Certainly," Ma De smiled.
"Taoist, wait a mont while I get so poles."
Qin Ergou bead, quickly entering the house.
"Why deceive him?" ng Qiwu remarked, watching the naively hopeful Qin Ergou.
"Just jesting; our Zhongnan Mountain requires examinations for entry, at most I waive his fee," Ma De chuckled.
Such talent couldn’t enter Zhongnan Mountain, but he offered a glimr of hope.
People thrive even on the faintest hope.
Such is the plight of mortals.
"Stay alert from now on, the Qi brothers might still be in the mountain," Gu Chuan’Yin instructed coldly.
"Gu Chuan’Yin, fear has consud you, embarrassing Zhongnan Mountain," ng Qiwu criticized calmly.
"re words are easy," Gu Chuan’Yin retorted, frowning.
"I’ll show that Laojun Mountain’s heir isn’t just a myth," ng Qiwu didn’t argue, her gaze calm as she looked into the deep mountains.
anwhile, inside the hut, Qin Ergou gathered poles, while eavesdropping on the conversation outside, his hand stopped, and his gaze turned cold.
...
Deep within Toad Treasure Mountain.
The moonlight guided travelers like Zhang Fan, Qi Delong, and Qi Dongqiang, who, at their cultivation level, could see in the dark without needing flashlights.
"Northern Emperor Technique? You taught him the Northern Emperor Technique?" Qi Delong’s astonished voice pierced the night.
"Why so startled?" Zhang Fan glanced back.
"Eighty years ago, the Daoist Sect catastrophe buried nurous dharma lineages on Dragon Tiger Mountain," Qi Delong said gravely.
The great catastrophe, catastrophic to the Daoist Sect, annihilated many lineages and Dharma aspects, including the infamous first killer Beidi’s Dharma Lineage.
"That lineage perished eighty years ago; how could you know it?" Qi Dongqiang couldn’t help but inquire.
As descendants of Laojun Mountain, they’d heard tales of the tragedy from elders.
The Universal Sacrifice summoned gods, but only the young Chu Chaoran descended the mountain.
"A friend taught ," Zhang Fan replied gravely.
He learned the Northern Emperor Technique from Jiang Hu during his Night is not bright phase.
Jiang Hu recounted his expulsion from Maoshan, eting an eccentric who taught him the Northern Emperor Technique.
Unfortunately, lacking fate, he couldn’t master it, until eting Zhang Fan and passing it onto him.
"It’s not that simple," Qi Delong insisted.
"You’re right," Zhang Fan admitted.
Back when he practiced the Northern Emperor Technique, he felt nothing astray, but now retroactively it seed dubious.
The eccentric Jiang Hu t was suspiciously enigmatic.
"If any survived, why hide?" Qi Delong pondered aloud.
"But throughout history, who else could master and spread this technique so freely?" Zhang Fan’s eyes narrowed, lost in thought.
This evasive manner reminded him of an "old acquaintance" with a similar approach.
"Thousand-Year-Old Demon!"
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