Green Mountain

Zhang Li suddenly closed the booklet, laughing awkwardly, "Haha, this booklet just contains some trivial matters of our Huangshan Dao Court, not worth discussing with outsiders."

Chen Ji casually said, "Daoist Master Zhang Li, you haven't turned my second scripture debate with the Bodhisattva into a new story, have you?"

Zhang Li's expression froze, "How could that be?"

Chen Ji gave an "oh", "That's good, otherwise, when your story gets published, I might just join the Buddhist Sect as a layman without shaving my head."

Zhang Li was speechless.

He gritted his teeth and took out a wooden box from his sleeve.

When the box opened, it contained six Yushu Leaves, their surfaces as translucent as jade, gleaming in the sunlight.

He reached out to pinch a leaf but was caught by surprise when Chen Ji bent over and snatched the box away, "Thank you, Daoist Master."

Zhang Li was startled, "Hey, my leaves!"

Chen Ji closed the box and tucked it into his robe, countering, "Leaves? What leaves?"

Zhang Li rolled up the booklet in his hand and stuffed it into his robe, then stuck the brush into his messy hair and said leisurely, "Fellow Daoist Chen Ji, you probably have been eyeing these leaves for a long time, they have great use. But you forgot, to use these leaves, one must dip a mouse-tail brush in my blood to write my Daoist talisman, or else they won't work. If you want me to write this talisman, you'll need to do me two favors."

Chen Ji laughed, "What favors? Daoist Master Zhang Li, do tell."

The two of them, one riding an ox and the other a horse, one in a Daoist robe and the other in armor, attracted the attention of passersby, yet neither of them paid any mind to the gazes of others.

Zhang Li sat cross-legged, sideways on the back of the Qing Niu, facing Chen Ji, "First, I was originally on my way back to the Huangshan Dao Court, but a junior brother came galloping to inform me that the Official Gateway of our Huangshan Dao Court had been leaked, causing a bloody storm in the Jianghu, so I had to return to the Imperial Capital."

Chen Ji was suspicious, "The Dao Court's Cultivation Path was leaked, could there be a traitor among you?"

Zhang Li shook his head, "It shouldn't be. Those cultivating the Gateway of Great Divinities in our Huangshan Dao Court have either been by my side or our master's side recently, with no chance or motive to leak it. Perhaps someone in the Jianghu unearthed a grave and found this path in a predecessor's cave dwelling, deliberately leaking it."

Upon hearing this, Chen Ji subconsciously thought of the Corpse Dog, who was specifically tasked by the Prime Minister to find cultivation paths.

Could it be that the Prime Minister was behind the leak of the Dao Court's path?

He said calmly, "Why does the Huangshan Dao Court have so many people cultivating the same path?"

Zhang Li laughed heartily, "Fellow Daoist Chen Ji, you might not know, our Dao Court is divided into Seekers and Protectors. Those with excellent talents become Seekers, like my incredibly gifted junior brother Yan Chi, who cultivates the Dao Court's Heavenly Phenomenon Technique. The less talented ones, like me, can only be Protectors, cultivating the same path to guard the mountain gate."

Chen Ji was curious, "Daoist Master Zhang Li, are you really sharing these secrets of the Dao Court with me?"

Zhang Li waved it off casually, "When have you seen the Martial Temple Mountain Master Lu Yang hide his cultivation paths? We, as a reputable sect, wouldn't hide them like those petty Jianghu people."

Chen Ji was even more curious, "So who else is cultivating this Gateway of Great Divinities?"

Zhang Li turned to look at him, his tone becoming grave, "Including me, there are eleven in total, counting our master Apostle, twelve."

Chen Ji was shocked, suddenly gripping the reins tightly, "The cultivation path of the Huangshan Dao Court's Master has been leaked?"

Strange.

Previously, it was said that the Apostle was one of the great masters of the Ning Dynasty's Divine Realm. How could so many people cultivate the same path, and yet this person rose to the Divine Realm?

This doesn't make sense; what's the secret hidden in this Official Gateway?

Moreover, the fact that the path cultivated by the Dao Court's Master has been leaked is a grand affair; who could do such a thing?

If it were the Prime Minister... what exactly is this Prime Minister trying to do?

Chen Ji looked at Zhang Li in disbelief, "Such an important cultivation path has been leaked, and yet Daoist Master Zhang Li is still in the mood to write stories?"

Zhang Li spread his hands, "What else can I do? There's no use being anxious. I came back halfway to ask the court to help our Huangshan Dao Court investigate this matter."

Chen Ji was helpless; the Huangshan Dao Court went to the court, which would likely hand it over to the Spy Department. But if the Spy Department was behind this, then there's really no solution.

Moreover, with this unreliable Daoist Master Zhang Li, the Huangshan Dao Court might end up with a silent loss.

Chen Ji thought about it and asked, "Then what is the second thing?"

Zhang Li pointed to the sky, "When my junior brother came to find me, he also brought a message. He said someone in the sky sent a dream to our master, saying the Supreme Heartless Jade Plate in East Kunlun was lost. This Jade Plate holds the Supreme Heartless chapter, the unparalleled path of our Dao Court."

Chen Ji felt as if Zhang Li's few words were about to fry his brain.

He had been in this world for several months, and the secrets of the Forty-nine Heavens he had heard didn't compare to these few words. For a moment, he couldn't tell if Zhang Li was speaking the truth or joking.

How could the secrets of the Forty-nine Heavens be heard so easily?

Chen Ji was puzzled, "If it was lost in the sky, then naturally it should be sought in the sky; what's the use of searching in the mortal realm?"

Zhang Li said with deep meaning, "This thing is useless in the Forty-nine Heavens. Whoever took it intends to use it in the mortal world, so I'm not looking for the Jade Plate but for the person cultivating it."

Chen Ji probed, "Is this path very powerful?"

Zhang Li smiled, "In the morning, you cut off the seven emotions and eliminate the six desires, and by night you can fly to the Forty-nine Heavens, achieving enlightenment in one day, liberation in six thousand years. Do you think it's powerful?"

"Powerful," Chen Ji frowned, "but in the vast sea of people, how will you find them?"

Zhang Li was also a bit troubled, "This path requires a person of utmost purity and true feelings to cultivate it. We can only start from there. However, whoever cultivates this path progresses very quickly, so they'll probably reveal themselves soon."

Chen Ji was curious, "How do you cut off the seven emotions and six desires? Can any random person who cultivates this path ascend?"

Zhang Li stroked his chin, pondering, "Of course not. If a person is ordinary and mediocre, even cutting off the seven emotions and six desires is insufficient to become an Immortal. That's why it's necessary to find people in the world with the truest feelings, truest characteristics, utmost purity, and truth. The more intense the emotions, the more intense the severance. However, joy, anger, sorrow, fear, love, hate, and desire must be cut one by one, with the most intense being the hardest to sever."

Chen Ji contemplated, "This path can help people to be devoid of emotions and nature; isn't it perfectly suitable for the Buddhist Sect to cultivate the realm of no ego?"

Zhang Li burst into laughter, "What are you thinking? This path merely allows you to convert the seven severed emotions into realms, but as for the seven emotions, you have to sever them yourself. If you can't sever them, you can't cultivate."

Chen Ji frowned, "If someone cuts off all seven emotions and six desires, won't they only be left with a shell? What's left?"

Zhang Li, sitting on the back of the Qing Niu, turned and looked at him earnestly, "Attaining impartiality through emotionlessness, with no emotions or desires, naturally, there's only selflessness and impartiality left. Fellow Daoist Chen Ji, the deities in the heavens can't descend, so they can only choose their own pieces to act. There aren't many deities capable of taking this Jade Plate from East Kunlun either, and we don't know what they intend to do. Now our Dao Court's grand enterprise is not yet finished, we can't allow such a major variable, so we must find it back."

Zhang Li suddenly spoke meaningfully, "Fellow Daoist, now we don't know who holds this path. If someone near you has obtained this path, don't give them the opportunity to sever their seven emotions. If you find any clues, you can come to the Chongnan Fang City God Temple to find me. Farewell."

With that, he rode the Qing Niu into the crowd, gradually heading south.