The Unruly Immortals

"Master..." At the instant this voice rang out, Master Danyang turned sharply in his dream and then he saw a familiar face.

It was his previously most proud disciple, Zhengkun, standing there in a green Taoist robe, serenely watching him, without a hint of hatred in his eyes.

He appeared so vivid, as if a real person was before him.

Yet, Master Danyang distinctly remembered that Zhengkun's head had been crushed by his very own foot—it was impossible that he was still alive!

The next moment, Master Danyang seemed to come to his senses, immediately flying into a rage. "Dare to fool around with tricks on this Taoist Master! I see you've grown tired of living!!"

Having scolded, Master Danyang tossed his longsword into the air with a flip of his hand.

He brought his middle and index fingers together, bit into them, and began drawing a Blood Talisman on the sword's falling blade with his fingers.

"Heaven's Extreme Seven Elements! Vast energy rules the heavens! Through water into mist! Pass to the three heavens! Exorcising Evil, annihilates traces! Revive the dead and ascend to immortality! Swift as the supreme true decree of infinity!!"

As soon as the talisman was drawn, the color of the sword blade changed instantaneously. From the realms above and below, tiny black substances, like frayed threads, began to attach themselves to the blade.

Master Danyang grasped the hilt of the sword and with a stamp of his feet, he flew towards the distant Zhengkun, poised in the air.

Confronted with his master's attack, Zhengkun did not seem to dodge, standing in his spot as if intending to say something further.

The strangely-auraed longsword, forcefully cleaved by Master Danyang, carved through Zhengkun's body along with the Sword Gang, and his smiling figure gradually dissipated.

With a sullen expression, Master Danyang stood inside the cave, warily surveying the tranquility all around him.

A brief period, no longer than the burning of a single incense stick, passed in the desolate cavern, and no more anomalies appeared.

"Hmph! Knowing your place, huh! Whoever you are, if you offend this Taoist Master, I'll make sure you regret it!"

Despite his tough talk, it was all a bluff.

In truth, Master Danyang had not let down his guard at all, listening intently in all directions, eyes scanning every corner, as he cautiously made his way toward the cave's exit with sword in hand.

Once he walked out of the cave, Master Danyang immediately began to rush down the mountain using his light-footed skills.

Pelting down the hillside, he didn't stop until he reached the town below, strewn with grave mounds.

Master Danyang had no intention of escaping too far, for fear of losing his way back should his physical self return.

All he needed now was a safe place to wait.

With various items brought by Lord You spread out swiftly on the ground, Master Danyang quickly started to set up a formation.

"Radiant and bright, thunderous light, meet this curse and die, defying the way leads to demise, I serve the true Tao, cutting down ill omens, all eerie specters, stay far from my side, no force dares confront, water cannot drown, fire cannot penetrate, within and beyond the Three Realms, supreme decree haste haste like the law!"

As the incantation ended, the yellow banners planted on the surrounding grave heads fluttered simultaneously.

A seemingly invisible line appeared between each Banner, forming a vast Nine Palaces Bagua.

Master Danyang was now crouching at the heart of the town, planning to respond to any changes with constancy.

"This Taoist Master is in no rush at all. If you have the guts, you're welcome to play with me all night long!"

Master Danyang, seated on a grave mound, kicked away a tombstone in front of him and began to wait.

Observing the mounds around him, Master Danyang couldn't help but grow worried about his physical self.

"The three Gods of Happiness are trouble, but my physical form should be able to deal with them. Even if not victorious, surely it can escape. Why hasn't it returned yet?"

Waiting within the Eight Trigrams Array, Master Danyang pondered for a while and, not quite reassured, began to draw something on the ground with his sword.

"Master, what kind of formation is this?" Hearing the obsequious question beside him, Master Danyang's face revealed a trace of disdain.

"Just watch closely, it's not time to teach you yet—"

His words cut off abruptly. Master Danyang slowly raised his head, his expression one of shock as he gazed at Zhengkun before him.

He was now standing with him at the center of the formation, the formation that Master Danyang had labored over for half a day—to Zhengkun, it seemed completely ineffective.

"This is impossible! The formations deployed by this Taoist Master, even if not completely obstructive, should at least trigger an alert!"

"Whoosh!" The sword struck again, but this time it passed directly through Zhengkun's chest, leaving him completely unscathed.

Just when Master Danyang was about to use a different method against the strange disciple in front of him, he suddenly heard another movement from a grave mound on his left.

Turning around, he saw another one of his disciples from Qingfeng Taoist Temple, Xuan Yin, also standing there.

"Master, it's been a long time since I've seen you, I've missed you very much."

As a shocked Master Danyang stepped back half a step, the two men behind him carrying longswords quickly stepped forward, their hands forming Taoist Seals.

"Changming, Changren, have seen you, Master! Congratulations on achieving immortality!!"

However, this was only the beginning, as more and more people emerged from the surrounding graves and started speaking to Master Danyang.

It wasn't just people from Qingfeng Taoist Temple; those who had past dealings with Master Danyang also appeared.

As time progressed,

"Danyang! This thief who stole knowledge of our art! You dare to practice evil arts and use people for alchemy! I should slap you to death!"

"Leper! Brotherhood indeed, you dare to plot behind my back! What sort of sworn brother are you!!"

"Why did you sell my daughter! She was your aunt by marriage! You wretched killer!"

"What gave you the right to kill my father! Why!! My father even shared with you the white flour we hardly ever afford to eat ourselves! Why did you kill him!! Woohoo..."

The voices became increasingly noisy and chaotic, and more and more people filled Eight Trigrams Array, causing Master Danyang's heart to become unsettled.

"What... what is this..." Gasping for air, he slowly lowered his head and saw more familiar faces emerging around him, fear gradually appearing in his eyes.

When he saw a stout fat man also appearing, the fear in Master Danyang's heart suddenly skyrocketed.

"Enough!" Master Danyang stepped on the Gang Step and waved his sword frantically.

The lines of the Eight Trigrams Array around him emitted puffs of white smoke into the air, which danced along with the blade.

The sky, now densely covered with dark clouds, followed as Master Danyang thrust his sword into the ground.

"Crack" went a thunderbolt, and a streak of purple lightning illuminated everything around them.

The purple lightning radiated along the Eight Trigrams Array on the ground, reaching everything around it.

All the grave markers and even the surrounding houses quickly turned to scorched black.

But when he looked up again, he found that those people's clothes weren't even damaged.

"What on earth is going on! Who are you!! Oblivion Path? Do you really dare to provoke a True Immortal!!" Master Danyang shouted furiously at them.

He was angry, but someone laughed—it was the fat man who had just come out.

He looked at Master Danyang with surprise, "Oh, isn't this Li Huowang? You've grown up this much? Let me tell you guys, this kid once knelt down and licked my arse just to learn crafts from me. Hahaha!!"

With that fat man's words, everyone around burst into laughter. Their laughter was filled with contempt and mockery.

"You mere mortals, how dare you look down upon me, the Taoist Master! I am about to ascend to immortality! Why do you scorn me!!"

Suddenly, Master Danyang became frantic and crazed, trying everything he could to kill these people.

However, no matter what divine skills he used, none had any effect on them.

An almost exhausted Master Danyang collapsed to the ground, gasping for air as he pulled a long spike from the hem of his robe and thrust it into both of his ears.

Yet, despite the pain, the mocking laughter didn't cease; instead, it grew louder.

"Aaaah!!!" Master Danyang picked up a stone and began frantically hitting his own head.

Just then, a man slowly walked out of the crowd; he was the only person not laughing.

Master Danyang recognized him—it was his closed-door disciple, Li Huowang.

Li Huowang walked up closer, smiling at the very pitiful sight of Master Danyang.

"Master, isn't the disciple's body quite useful?"