NOVEL NEXT Chapter 159 Invited
"I would wish for nothing more," Qing Yu said immediately.
Zhang Xuanji claimed that the Thunder Skill of the Shenxiao Dao opened an unprecedented path, and it wasn't just bragging—they truly possessed such capability.
If not for their unique expertise, Shenxiao Dao would have long been extinguished by Dragon Tiger Mountain, let alone developed to this extent.
Due to reaching new heights in the Thunder Skill, even the Supreme Taoist Sect, rumored to contain countless Absolute Skills of various Taoist schools, does not hold any Shenxiao collections.
After all, this sect was founded only a few centuries ago. Compared with other Great Sects which are easily a thousand years old, Shenxiao Dao is quite young.
Therefore, if Xuan Du were here, he would definitely agree.
And Qing Yu, of course, was extremely interested in the Thunder Skill of Shenxiao Dao. In fact, his interest in Thunder Skill even exceeded that of Xuan Du.
"Haha, since that's the case, I would ask Fellow Daoist Xuan Du to follow me this way," Zhang Xuanji laughed, casting an smug look at Xuanming before turning and gesturing for the way forward.
The two thus proceeded, one after the other, leaving Xuanming by himself, staring blankly on the spot.
There was no helping it. They invited Xuan Du, not a Zhenwu Sect disciple like you—what would you follow for?
The residence of Shenxiao Dao, although slightly inferior compared to those of the Four Great Taoist Sects, was not to be looked down upon. After all, their power spoke for itself, and Taizhen Palace certainly dared not offend them.
To date, Shenxiao Dao's strength was no less than that of the Four Great Taoist Sects. With three Divinity Realm warriors such as the Shenxiao Taoist, Zhengtian Taoist, and Yinkong True Man in the sect, their actual strength had already surpassed Luo Fu Palace, comparable to Zhenwu Sect.
This was a sect that indeed possessed the reality of a Taoist school but lacked the name.
"Speaking of which, I must thank Fellow Daoist Xuan Du. If it weren't for your help yesterday, my Shenxiao Dao might have been harmed by that Zhang Yuanchu," Zhang Xuanji nonchalantly yet purposefully remarked as he entered the courtyard.
With this comment, Zhang Xuanji subtly smeared Dragon Tiger Mountain, casting it in the role of the villain, while seemingly seeking Qing Yu's opinion.
If Qing Yu showed any dissatisfaction, revealing a distaste for Dragon Tiger Mountain, Zhang Xuanji would surely take the opportunity to list Dragon Tiger Mountain's faults.
'I didn't realize before, but Zhang Xuanji can be quite cunning,' Qing Yu thought to himself.
The impression Zhang Xuanji gave others was that of a heartless, mad scientist. To advance his Alchemy Dao, he would stop at nothing. However, here before Qing Yu was another side of Zhang Xuanji.
Shrewd, cunning, and adept in rhetoric, the man before him seemed completely different from Zhang Xuanji's usual image—perhaps this was another side of him.
Reflecting on Zhang Xuanji's past, Qing Yu made a preliminary assessment of his current state.
Zhang Xuanji, in his early years, managed to become the top lackey of the young Heavenly Master, and it was impossible for him to be merely dull. To stand out among such elite company, one had to be powerful or articulate. Zhang Xuanji certainly lacked strength back then; otherwise, he wouldn't have needed to betray Dragon Tiger Mountain, leaving oration as the only option.
"I merely ensured the smooth progress of the Debating Conference," Qing Yu replied with indifference.
Though resolved to play the role of a troublemaker, he didn't intend to be used as a pawn by others. Believe it or not, if he showed a sliver of discontent now, Shenxiao Dao might soon publicly declare that the Supreme Daoist also held grievances against Dragon Tiger Mountain.
If that were to happen, Qing Yu's role as troublemaker could well end up mired in a mess.
As they talked, Qing Yu stepped into the courtyard, a chill suddenly passing through his heart as he felt an invisible, faint current sweep over his body.
"It seems you've noticed it," said Zhang Xuanji. "Please understand, Daoist, this is a surveillance measure set up by our Dao Master. Should anyone attempt to sneak in, they'd be exposed without fail."
"Very clever," Qing Yu commended.
This invisible layer of electric current gave no hints at all, with Qing Yu completely unaware until the faint current touched him, finally raising his alarm.
From the momentary discomfort, he could tell that if one's cultivation body were incompatible with the current, it would cause a slight stimulus, creating a noticeable disturbance in one's True Qi.
And such a disturbance, however faint, would be as obvious as beating a drum to the perception of a warrior in the Divinity Realm.
With just this measure, unauthorized entries were practically impossible.
"Your sect's Thunder Skill certainly is unique, very different from that of Dragon Tiger Mountain," Qing Yu commented.
"Haha, Fellow Daoist Xuan Du is too kind," Zhang Xuanji responded.
Walking a few steps further, he addressed a few disciples absorbing the morning's purple qi: "Today, your Uncle-Master and the Supreme Daoist will discuss the Thunder Skill. You may observe and learn—consider yourself fortunate."
The Shenxiao disciples, who had been meditating, quickly stood up and expressed gratitude: "We thank Uncle-Master and the Supreme Daoist."
Qing Yu's gaze, like void space, like a bright mirror, surveyed these Shenxiao disciples, grasping their details.
'All five possess exceptional Heavenly Talent, mostly in their thirties. To have reached Divine Origin Realm at such an age is truly extraordinary,' Qing Yu thought to himself.
Now, being in the Divine Origin Realm in one's thirties may not seem impressive, but in reality, many individuals only reach Divine Origin in their fifties or sixties after enduring years of hardship. Such a Divine Origin in one's thirties would receive focused cultivation in any sect.
Like Dragon Tiger Mountain's Zhang Yang Ping, who Qing Yu defeated—he was about thirty-five and at the Divine Origin Realm. The façade of the Supreme Daoist that Qing Yu was wearing also suggested an age above thirty.
If Qing Yu himself hadn't advanced so quickly, he likely would have needed to wait until his thirties to achieve anything. Perhaps he might have turned out like these Shenxiao disciples, at the Divine Origin Realm in his thirties—or, perhaps, not even up to their level.
Comparing to Monk Shi Jue of the Great Zen Temple, the man's age seemed conspicuous.
Upon reflection, Monk Shi Jue's age was fairly close to Qing Yu's, maybe even younger. Such a genuinely young monk was now on the verge of advancing to the True Pill Realm, an achievement that was somewhat astonishing.
Thinking about the monk's rapid progress, Qing Yu felt this fellow must have a special edge. (This hints at Monk Shi Jue's background; remember, some readers have mentioned that this young monk's progress is catching up with Qing Yu's own formidable pace.)
"Daoist, this is our sect's most prominent disciple, also the direct grandson of Zhengtian Uncle-Master, Qu Zhen. He will represent our sect in the Divine Origin competition this time," Zhang Xuanji introduced.
Although Shenxiao Dao had split from Dragon Tiger Mountain, its roots still belonged to Zhengyi Tao. Hence, Shenxiao Dao naturally had no prohibitions on marriage.
While other sects also commonly did not forbid Dual Cultivation among Daoist couples, those who actually married were few. For instance, in Zhenwu Sect, both the Sect Leader and the Peak Masters were unmarried.
"Not bad," Qing Yu appraised lightly.
This grandson of Zhengtian Taoist had a solid foundation, and was the youngest among them, likely under thirty, but approaching it.