Wielding the Thunders Across Two Worlds

Compared to Sanmao Mountain and Dragon Tiger Heavenly Mountain, Ge Xuan Mountain had very few True Dao cultivators—only three.

Besides Taoist Qing Ye and Xiu Ming Taoist, there was a middle-aged Daoist whose name also began with "Xiu." He was originally from the Baopu Taoist School in Wu Province but had come to Ge Xuan Mountain for peaceful cultivation, finding his old temple too bustling.

"Besides you, are there other True Dao cultivators at the Baopu Taoist School?" Gu Zhao asked.

Taoist Xiu Jing nodded with a smile. "Wu Province is prosperous and has many Taoist temples, so there are quite a few True Dao cultivators. My senior brother, Xiu Ji, has also cultivated Inner Breath True Qi, but his family lives in Lin City, so he didn’t come with me."

"Additionally, Yellow Immortal Palace, Plum Blossom Ancient Temple, Tongbai Palace, and both the Zhengyi and Quanzhen sects all have True Dao cultivators," Taoist Xiu Jing said earnestly. "While any single temple certainly won’t have as many as Sanmao Mountain, Dragon Tiger Heavenly Mountain, or Feiyun Mountain, the total number is quite large."

Gu Zhao nodded. The Taoist Office did have statistics on the number of True Dao cultivators; otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to find Taoist Yuan He at Lü Zu Temple, showing up right when he was chatting with Taoist Xu Ning and the others.

However, some True Dao cultivators were low-key, unwilling to be bothered by worldly affairs, and didn’t cooperate with the official registration. Such cases existed, so every time Gu Zhao recruited someone new, he made it a point to ask around to avoid missing anyone.

After all, every old Daoist was a born-and-bred member of Daluo Palace... no, a priceless treasure!

Hearing this, Gu Zhao looked over at Taoist Ming Chong and said with a smile, "It seems we have plenty of potential recruits."

Taoist Ming Chong smiled back. "They’re all working hard to live up to expectations. It is a blessing for the Taoist Sect."

Gu Zhao nodded, then turned to Taoist Qing Ye and Xiu Ming, the Young Taoist, who were sitting to the side. "I’ll skip the pleasantries. Are you all prepared to leave with me?"

Taoist Qing Ye, Taoist Xiu Jing, and Xiu Ming, the Young Taoist, all stood and performed a salute.

The next moment, a Thunder Seed entered each of them.

...

"I want to see Taoist Xiu Huai! I’m Ge Qifeng from Ge Family Village, the seventy-second-generation descendant of Ge Xuan Ancestor!"

At the entrance to a private courtyard of the Taoist House in Chongzhen Palace, an area off-limits to tourists, a teenager was clamoring to get inside but was being blocked by two Daoists.

He was practically jumping up and down. "When I was born, my mom dreamed that a crimson dragon flew into her arms! When I was a kid, all the neighborhood cats and dogs would flock around me! And three days ago, I dreamed I became a crimson dragon, soaring through the clouds!"

"I’m telling you, I’m a natural-born cultivation prodigy!" the teenager declared, jabbing a thumb at his chest. "If you don’t take me in, it’ll be your loss!"

"Just let me cultivate, and I’ll reach Qi Refining in three months, Foundation Establishment in a year, Golden Core in three, and Nascent Soul in five! Within ten years, I’ll reach the Divinity Transformation Stage and achieve Mahayana Ascension!"

The teenager’s face was brimming with confidence. "When that time comes, you all might need my help to ascend!"

The two Daoists were speechless. "..."

"And don’t give me that nonsense about handing me a couple of Daoist Scriptures to read on my own."

The teenager preempted the two Daoists’ response. "There’s an old saying: ’The master leads you through the door.’ I don’t have the basics yet, so I can’t understand any of that stuff."

"But I’m super talented! If you just teach me a little, I’ll definitely pick it up fast. And it has to be Taoist Xiu Huai himself who teaches me! You two definitely aren’t as good a teacher as he is."

The surrounding crowd erupted in laughter.

"You don’t even know the basics and you dare come looking for the abbot of Chongzhen Palace? You’ve got some nerve!"

"Can you even recite the *Tao Te Ching*?"

"Here’s a basic one: do you know what ’Dragon and Tiger’ means?"

"I’ll ask you a more advanced one. Infant and Maiden, Yellow Crone and Golden Duke—do you know what I’m talking about?"

"What about ’adjusting the firing process’? Understand that?"

In a nearby courtyard, Gu Zhao looked at Taoist Ming Chong. "Wow, these people really know their stuff."

Taoist Ming Chong chuckled. "Interpretations of Daoist classics are the hottest thing on the internet right now. Anyone who pays a little attention can rattle off a thing or two."

"What are the most popular scriptures?" Gu Zhao asked, curious.

"The foundational scriptures of several major sects are all quite popular," Taoist Ming Chong replied. "Things like the Zhengyi Sect’s *Dharma Scripture*, the Shangqing Sect’s *Great Cave Scripture*, the Spiritual Treasure Sect’s *Sutra of Salvation*, the Quanzhen Sect’s *Twenty-four Formulas of Double Yang*, *Great Pill Direct Pointing*, and *Essentials of the Golden Core*. There’s also the *Great Dao Discussion* written by Zhang Sanfeng, the *Taiyi Jinhua Principle* attributed to Lü Zu, and so on."

Gu Zhao laughed. "They’re all quite ambitious. I would’ve thought they’d be most interested in *Daoist Magic Origin* and *Fa Hai’s Pearl of Wisdom*."

Taoist Ming Chong chuckled. "Those are just Techniques. Without any Magical Power, what’s the use of Daoist Skills?"

Just then, Taoist Qing Ye, Taoist Xiu Jing, and Xiu Ming, the Young Taoist, awoke one after another. They all performed a cupped-fist salute toward Gu Zhao. "Greetings, Sect Leader!"

Gu Zhao waved his hand, motioning for the three to sit down, then gestured toward the commotion outside the courtyard. "Has this sort of thing happened before?"

Xiu Ming immediately replied, "Not to this extent, but we’ve definitely had people who were shamelessly persistent about wanting to become disciples. There’s a security detachment stationed on the mountain, though, and the officers usually persuade them to leave."

Just then, two uniformed security officers approached from a short distance away. They arrived at the entrance to the Taoist House and began trying to persuade the teenager to leave.

"I’m not leaving!" The teenager threw himself on the ground. "I want to take Taoist Xiu Huai as my master! He’ll definitely be able to see my talent!"

"And Taoist Xiu Huai is...?" Taoist Ming Chong asked.

"My disciple," Taoist Qing Ye said, stroking his beard. "He has a good character, but his talent is limited. He has yet to cultivate True Qi, so he became the abbot of Chongzhen Palace to make himself useful in his own way."

As soon as Taoist Qing Ye finished speaking, a square-jawed, middle-aged Daoist walked out from another Taoist House nearby.

"Abbot!" the two Daoists said, bowing in respect.

"Taoist Xiu Huai!" called out the tourists nearby who recognized the middle-aged Daoist.

Taoist Xiu Huai addressed the teenager, who was being pulled to his feet by the officers. "You’re looking for the wrong person. My own cultivation is incomplete, so how could I be qualified to teach anyone?"

"Xiu Huai." A calm voice spoke up. It wasn’t loud, but everyone in the vicinity heard it with perfect clarity.

"Master?" Taoist Xiu Huai recognized the voice’s owner.

"Though your innate talent may be lacking, your character is firm and upright. You uphold righteousness and ward off evil. You are worthy of being called a man of the Dao, so there is no need to belittle yourself," Taoist Qing Ye said solemnly. "In cultivating the Dao, one cultivates the heart—not the Method, and not the Technique."

"Yes!" Taoist Xiu Huai bowed in response. His expression remained placid, but inwardly, he was stunned.

"Who’s talking?"

"I don’t see anyone!"

"Is that voice projection from a thousand miles away?"

The next moment, a white cloud slowly rose from the adjacent courtyard. The crowd looked up, aghast, to see two old Daoists, one middle-aged Daoist, and one young Daoist standing atop it.

The crowd: !!!

The tourists didn’t recognize Taoist Qing Ye and the other two, but they knew the last person. His face and identity had already spread far and wide, reaching a level of fame that nearly rivaled a top celebrity.

Ming Chong Master!

"We’re going to be guests at Brother Ming Chong’s place. We’ll be back after a while," Taoist Qing Ye said to Taoist Xiu Huai.

"I respectfully send you off, Master!" A flicker of envy crossed Taoist Xiu Huai’s eyes, which then turned to joy before finally settling into acceptance.

He suddenly felt something press into his hand. He instinctively closed his fist around it, feeling a smooth warmth. Looking down, he saw a Purple Sandalwood Bracelet.

A voice echoed in his mind. ’I’m giving you this Golden Gang Bracelet. It will keep your body nimble and healthy, and protect you from all illness. If fate allows, it might even give you a helping hand. The rest is up to your own destiny.’

Taoist Xiu Huai’s pupils contracted. He bowed deeply once more. "Thank you for your favor, Senior. Xiu Huai is eternally grateful."

Then, as everyone at Chongzhen Palace watched, the white cloud ascended higher and higher, eventually vanishing into the heavens.