Chapter 297 - The Ranked Celestials

The moonlight was bright and clear, and the two persons were playing chess at a mid-hill pavilion. Upon looking up, there was a partly visible heavenly palace.

Huanzhen waved his top sleeve, swept off the chess game, smiled faintly and said, "Brother I, am considered as nothing. Junior Apprentice-Brother Mubai eliminated Bai Suhuan using only the slightest force. This is the incredible means of hearing shocking thunder at a completely silent place."

The man who was dressed in white that played chess with Huanzhen was Huanzhen's Junior Apprentice-Brother, Chen Mubai. They even had blood relation but it was just that they belonged to different sects. But the fact that both of them could get into Powang together was already considered extraordinary to the world.

Chen Mubai looked at Huanzhen's direction, slowly said, "Unfortunately even if Bai Suhuan is gone, compared to years ago, Qing Xuan's power is still unabated but continued to strengthen instead."

He recalled the other day after Shen Lian caught Bai Suhuan, he was hiding secretly at one side. When he being stared at by the pair of eyes which were as clear as the clean water, he instantly felt that he was being read in and out completely, and that made him feel that chill was running down his spine.

If it was not because he was very decisive, he might have to lose some things on that day in order for him to return.

This has made him realize clearly that this young Qing Xuan Headmaster was already way ahead of them on the way of cultivation.

Huanzhen looked at the partly visible heavenly palace located at the peak of Mount Taicang and said, "There is no harm. Even if Shen Lian can become an immortal Zhenren, there will still be an irreparable disaster that is going to happen to Qing Xuan."

Chen Mubai looked stunned. He could not understand why Huanzhen would make such a statement, could it be possible that there was something he did not know? He said, "Why do you say so, Senior Apprentice-Brother?"

Huanzhen said, "It is not time to tell you yet. I think Honoured Master's Lingxiao Palace is going to become a magic talisman already."

Chen Mubai also gazed at the colossal heavenly palace, majestic and grand. Under the moonlight, it could be vaguely seen that there was a purple Qi surrounding it, similar to a real dragon, as if its scales and claws could be seen. He could not help but said, "Even if it is so, I'm afraid that I have waited for my entire life, hoping to see that Heaven Courtyard could reappear again. From then on, the celestials become immortal and there will be no more disaster."

Huanzhen held Chen Mubai's hand, speaking in a low tone, "There will be this one day."

Shen Lian lived alone at the highest point on Zifu Peak. Among the five peaks in Qing Xuan, Zifu Peak ranked second highest after Taiyi. Nonetheless, at this peak, not only one could see the rest of the four peaks, but one could also clearly see the quietly flowing river below.

The clouds were surrounded by smoke and when sunlight arrived, it would turn to be all kinds of purple Qi which were dense and rising, just as the situation when Daoism Qi cultivators concentrated practicing at Zifu. This was where the name of Zifu Peak came from when 'Zi' means purple.

Yan Bugui walked up step by step from the bottom of the hill along the small path. This was because Zifu Peak was not only the second Fortune Land with the richest Qi of vitality among the five peaks in Qing Xuan, there were also a lot of Daoist courtyards built there. Although most of the Daoist courtyards were empty, some of them used to be the residences of immortal Zhenren who had spent the majority of their lives there.

Although they were gone, the buildings still remained. The later generations must still show respect.

Moreover, Qing Xuan's Taiwei Pavilion which stored inherited ancient books and records was also located at this peak.

The moment when he saw Headmaster at the peak, he instantly felt sentimental. Was this place real or not? Was Shen Lian real or not? These thoughts had suddenly stirred up his emotions.

Shen Lian stood at the peak where many former elder teachers used to stand on. Beneath his feet was a bulged green rock which had been exposed to thousands of years of the Qi of heaven and earth, the essence of sun and the moon. Hence, there was plenty of lingzhi that grew near the rock. The rock itself also had some holes. They were interconnected and they communicated Qi of vitality, as though they were taking in and out the essence of sun and the moon.

When Yan Bugui paid all his attention to the rock, it seemed like he heard the rock's breathing. However, Shen Lian was not in his sight anymore. It seemed like the most outstanding and capable Qing Xuan Headmaster in history already broke away from the human earth and reached the state that all of them had always wanted to be at since they entered the path of Daoism and cultivated, which was the state of Celestials and Buddha. Whereas for this holy rock, there were some remains of Shen Lian's traces of life. Due to good fortune, there will be a miracle in life.

Suddenly he felt that this Headmaster was no longer the youngster that he used to drink together within the bamboo forest. In the outside world, the mountains and rivers were always changing. In the cultivation community, everyone was fighting against each other. Qing Xuan's centuries of rise and fall, how did these have something to do with him?

Even though Shen Lian was responsible for their destinies, and even Qing Xuan orthodoxy's continuing existence and destinies of countless cultivators relevant to Qing Xuan, were all these just an illusion to Shen Lian? When Shen Lian made up his mind to eliminate this illusion, would he cut ties with all these too?

Yan Bugui felt that he would rather be drunk for ten days and ten nights than to explore this question.

Shen Lian suddenly turned around, and at this moment everything became so real.

Then he smiled. Although his charm was so extraordinary, it still made Yan Bugui feel that Shen Lian was alive all over again and he felt relieved.

He was so afraid that this Headmaster would suddenly be like Buddha and Daoist Master, to come to his realization and from then on ignored all worldly affairs. If that was to happen, it would disappoint so many people and it would also make this precarious cultivation community to generate even greater obstacles.

Deep in Yan Bugui's heart still contained bravery and boldness. This period of time when he was guarding the Temple of Longevity, he realized how Qing Xuan's destiny would affect many people. Down the years, there were too many cultivators in Yuan Continent and the sea regions surrounding Qing Xuan that were closely related to Qing Xuan. Once Qing Xuan collapsed, all these people would be like the duckweeds in the rain.

When Shen Lian saw Yan Bugui, he looked pleased and said, "Bugui, you're here." Just now his mind and spirit were wandering and a little good fortune had infected the holy rock under his feet. There were no thoughts and no consciousness, and hence he was not aware of Yan Bugui's arrival.

Yan Bugui picked up the pieces and spoke politely, "Headmaster, I have already contacted every sea region cultivator that is relevant to Qing Xuan, but nobody has seen Grand Ancestor Master and Ruoxi."

Shen Lian sighed and said, "I can't even figure out Grand Ancestor Master's location with my current Shushu calculation, it's expected that you guys couldn't manage to discover him."

Yan Bugui said, "There were only so little people in this world who could cause Grand Ancestor Master any trouble. He would be safe since Ruoxi is with him now. Headmaster shouldn't have to worry about it."

Shen Lian slightly frowned and said, "I'm not worried about Ruoxi, but I have a bad feeling regarding Grand Ancestor Master."

Yan Bugui was shocked and asked, "What could have possibly happened to him?"

Shen Lian spoke, "It was not unlike today that I understand eliminating this illusion doesn't mean that you get to enjoy peace and happiness for the rest of your life. This is why there were so many immortal Zhenrens who still couldn't stop looking for their ways out. They tried to transcend beyond the mortal world to escape from disasters. Grand Ancestor Master has advanced skills and good fortune, so he could delay the heaven and earth trial of Dao for a very long time. However, in actual fact, he has not been able to pull through the trial of Dao that was imposed on him. Then he suddenly took Ruoxi out and left the mountain gate. Perhaps he's already at the end of his life and so he decided to get out there for a walk."