Wielding the Thunders Across Two Worlds

A bowl of oil-splashed belt noodles served with cured wild boar and fresh wild vegetables. The sauce clung to the noodles, and Gu Zhao felt it was even more delicious than the bowl Yunyang had treated him to back in the West Capital.

After they finished the noodles, two of the women in the group eagerly helped wash the dishes. Taoist Fang De accepted their help, then took out a few disposable cups from a corner of the room and poured tea for everyone.

The sun was setting, and darkness fell quickly in the mountains. Everyone could see the red afterglow shining in the west, even as their surroundings grew dim.

As the cool summer night breeze blew, the group couldn’t help but start chatting again.

"Shu Province, Jin Province, Lu Province, and Gan Province—four different provinces, all with old Daoists who can fly. This is no longer an isolated incident. It must be a nationwide Extraordinary phenomenon, right?"

"You forgot the video from West Mountain. Qin Province has one too."

"The latest news is that Taoist Qing Ye from the Spiritual Treasure Sect on Ge Xuan Mountain and Taoist Ming Chong from the Celestial Master’s Mansion flew off side by side."

"Holy crap. It feels like the world is turning into something I don’t recognize."

"It’s like we’ve suddenly gone from a world of science to a world of xianxia."

"Cyber-cultivation!"

"I really want to learn Cultivation, too!"

Gu Zhao, who was sitting to one side, turned to Taoist Fang De and Taoist Wu Zhi. "You two are Cultivators as well. What do you make of those other Daoists?"

"They are all True Cultivators," Taoist Fang De said with a nod.

"Dispelling the downpour, saving so much property and so many lives—it was a deed of immense merit," Taoist Wu Zhi praised.

"Actually, you two are True Cultivators as well," Gu Zhao said with a smile. "Living as recluses in the mountains, free and unfettered, and so warm and hospitable you didn’t even charge us for the noodles."

"That’s right, that’s right," the two women said, nodding repeatedly.

Taoist Fang De laughed. "How much can a bowl of noodles be worth? We two old men rarely leave the mountain. It’s wonderful just to have you city folk visit and chat with us."

"Don’t you use cell phones?" one of the men asked, pulling out his phone. "I see there’s a signal here."

Taoist Wu Zhi pointed to a signal tower on a nearby peak. "They put up that tower a few years ago. I think they said it was to provide internet for the surrounding villages."

"But we don’t use them. If we really want to find out what’s going on, we just take a look around when we go out to buy rice, flour, and oil. Or we can head to the village and watch some TV," Taoist Fang De said with a laugh.

"The news has been hinting at it," one of the men said. "They’re saying that Taoism is an important pillar of traditional culture."

Taoist Fang De and Taoist Wu Zhi both stroked their beards and smiled, their eyes filled with gratification.

"According to the news, Extraordinary Beings haven’t always been around. They didn’t exist decades ago when the Divine Land was in turmoil. So what do you all think is going on?"

"Spiritual Qi Revival?"

"A Grotto Heaven Blessed Land?"

"Physical mutation?"

"Selection by some higher power?"

"In any case, some kind of change has definitely occurred."

"And for now, it seems to be happening only here in Celestial Xia. Otherwise, knowing how foreigners operate, if they had people this powerful, they would have flaunted them long ago."

"Elder Fang and Elder Wu, you both study Taoism. Have you ever thought of going to Qingcheng Mountain or West Mountain to meet those other Daoists?" Gu Zhao asked.

The two old Daoists smiled and shook their heads.

"They have their path, and we have ours."

"We cultivate the Dao to cultivate the heart. To obtain it is my fortune; to lose it is my fate."

Gu Zhao was filled with awe. He cupped his hands and said, "You two elders are truly broad-minded. I am deeply impressed!"

Taoist Fang De laughed and waved his hand dismissively. "That’s just sour grapes on our part."

As the last of the western afterglow faded, Taoist Wu Zhi stood up and said to the group, "The huts are simple, but some young people from the village stay here occasionally, so they’re kept reasonably clean. You’ll just have to make do."

He was speaking mainly to Gu Zhao, as the other backpackers had their own sleeping bags and blankets. Only Gu Zhao had lost his pack and come empty-handed.

...

Gu Zhao spent a quiet night in one of the mountain huts.

The next morning, as the sky was just beginning to lighten, Gu Zhao rose quietly and pushed open the door of his hut. He saw Taoist Fang De and Taoist Wu Zhi, already fully dressed, practicing standing meditation and breathing exercises on the mountainside platform, facing east.

Gu Zhao walked over to them, sensing them absorb the Qi of the morning sun and circulate the Magical Power within their bodies, observing the paths and rhythms of their energy flow.

Taoist Fang De’s spiritual fluctuations were active, somewhat resembling the Shangqing tradition. Taoist Wu Zhi’s internal energy, however, was fiery and intense, leaning more toward the Quanzhen school.

Of course, these were merely inclinations, as Taoist Fang De’s energy was also quite strong, and Taoist Wu Zhi’s spiritual state was also excellent.

Gu Zhao raised an eyebrow, only now realizing that the two Daoists were not practicing the same Dharma Gate, but two different lineages. They had clearly been exchanging knowledge and learning from one another, cultivating their own foundational arts while adopting the other’s strengths.

After about twenty minutes, the two old Daoists finished their breathing exercises and began to slowly practice a Fist Technique. It looked similar to the Eight Pieces of Brocade and the Vajra Skill, both being forms of stretching and health-preserving exercise.

Another twenty minutes later, their morning cultivation session was complete.

"What Fist Technique was that?" Gu Zhao asked.

"It’s nothing, really. The two of us just modified the Eight Pieces of Brocade a little to get some exercise and stay fit," Taoist Fang De said with a laugh.

Gu Zhao understood. They had modified the Eight Pieces of Brocade to better suit themselves. Although it looked somewhat different from the original, its effects were actually better than practicing the standard form.

"Your Dao Practice is profound. I’m sure you two will be as powerful as Taoist Ming Chong and the others in the future," Gu Zhao said with a smile.

Taoist Wu Zhi shook his head. "The Celestial Dao is unpredictable; there are always gains and losses. For them to suddenly become so powerful, who knows what price they paid?"

Gu Zhao gave a thumbs-up. "Your insight is sharp, Elder. And I happen to know exactly what price they paid. Would you two like to know?"

Taoist Fang De looked at Gu Zhao in surprise. "What was it?"

"This."

With a gentle extension of his hand, Gu Zhao sent two Thunder Seeds into the Seas of Consciousness of Taoist Fang De and Taoist Wu Zhi.

...

To the sound of ringing cell phones and a chorus of yawns, the six men and women emerged one by one from their huts. Rubbing their eyes, they looked toward Taoist Fang De and Taoist Wu Zhi, who were standing silently in the mountainside clearing.

The two Daoists stood perfectly still, their eyes shut tight.

"What’s wrong with them?" one of the men asked.

One of the women, while packing up her blanket and sleeping bag, said to the others, "I brought some crackers. I’ll get them out, and we can share them for breakfast."

The moment she finished speaking, Taoist Fang De’s eyes snapped open. A cool breeze materialized out of thin air, swirling around him. An invisible surge of energy then seemed to burst from his body, blowing away all the surrounding flowers, grass, and fallen leaves.

At the same time, Taoist Wu Zhi opened his eyes. His entire being began to emit a hazy golden glow, and the rising eastern sun seemed to cast a beam of light down to envelop him, making him look like an Immortal from the heavens.

The hikers froze mid-motion, completely stunned. "And you said you weren’t Immortals?"