Please call me Huanxian

Chapter 369 A Confused Account
The sea was surging, and the small island of ten miles in radius had already been riddled with holes, most of it destroyed by the catastrophe. Only a circle of reefs on the northwest edge protruded out of the water, interlaced with each other, silently telling of the vicissitudes of life.

Xu Yuanchang was full of doubts as he looked at the sky filled with thunder and heat.

With Senior Xuan Xiao's knowledge and wisdom, how could he possibly do such a stupid thing as seeking death?

He compared the situation in which Lao Li was caught up in a conspiracy and forced to endure a great calamity with the scene that had just happened before his eyes, and after careful consideration, he quickly came to the conclusion that the two were similar in nature, the former being passive and the latter active.

They all relied on the unparalleled power of the heavenly calamity to break free from some kind of control and achieve the goal of living towards death.

In other words, he was used by Lao Li as a messenger, and used the piece of paper with four pictures on it to deliver some kind of secret message.

"Let's go, there are monks who have noticed the movement and are coming from the land."

Zeng Wanglou found nothing. Seeing Xu Yuanchang lost in thought, he reminded him that they had long been away from the Da Cang Dynasty and that across the sea was the territory of the Da Qiang Dynasty.

The three of them flew westward quickly and returned to the Xiyuan Holy Land in the early afternoon.

Zeng Wanglou took out two bottles of pills and handed them to Zhao Jun, saying, "Thank you for the trouble. Please keep Senior Xuan Xiao's matter confidential."

Zhao Jun did not refuse and took the pill bottle with a smile. Most of the pills refined by Mr. Mu were of top quality and were well-known and hard to come by. He understood what he meant and said, "Mr. Mu is too polite to refuse. I will accept it." He also put forward a small condition: "Old Xu, you promised to write the second volume of 'Qingping Suanjing' for me. Don't forget it."

Xu Yuanchang was stunned for a moment, then he laughed and scolded: "When did I promise that, brother Bajiao, you are blackmailing me, get out of here."

Zeng Wanglou laughed and said, "I can testify that Yuan Chang did promise this. People should keep their promises and not break their promises."

"That's right, Mr. Mu and I are waiting for your masterpiece. Goodbye, I won't see you off."

Zhao Jun laughed and unilaterally finalized a deal. He bowed and said goodbye, then flew towards Tianzhen Mountain.

Zeng Wanglou watched Zhao Jun disappear and said, "I am fortunate to have received guidance from Senior Xuan Xiao and have gained a lot. I will not return to the Monster Capture Mountain for the time being. I will find another quiet island to practice in seclusion for a few years. You can go and look for the altar and bronze tablet that Senior Ye entrusted to me. I will not participate in the follow-up."

After saying that, he bowed and went north.

Xu Yuanchang said "take care" and returned to the Monster-Catching Mountain alone.

I didn't know what I figured out halfway through, so I laughed and shook my head.

Lao Li was as cunning as a devil. He asked him to help rescue Xuan Xiao from trouble, but left him out of the follow-up matters.

His relationship with Taoist Master Yanshan is inseparable, and the dispute between immortals and gods is endless. Lao Li and Xuan Xiao are quite wary of him, and some things are hidden. He sees through them but does not say them, and does not want to get deeply involved in the subsequent troubles.

Zeng Wanglou is a cultivator of the gods. He was isolated by the cultivation world and was pulled into the Shinto camp by Lao Li, which is understandable.

It's a confusing account. I guess things will not be peaceful after I ascend to the upper realm.

I’m having a headache from thinking about it, so I can only take one step at a time.

Xu Yuanchang sighed secretly and went back to the mountain to calm down. He would decide on his trip to Laizhou after careful consideration.

He actually didn't want any benefits, he just wanted to be free and cultivate his own virtues.

The tree wants to be still but the wind does not stop, perhaps this is what it means to practice Taoism.

……

Zeng Wanglou disappeared in stealth and appeared above Shigong Dike at midnight. The collapsed area two hundred miles away was guarded by several monks from the third floor at night, so it would not affect his subsequent spellcasting.

Black umbrellas were used to drain the nearby seawater, making the dam completely visible.

Zeng Wanglou stepped on the wet and sandy ground, slowly walked along the embankment covered with shells, holding a jade slip in his hand, chanting the ancient "God-Calling Spell" sometimes loudly and sometimes softly. Senior Xuan Xiao left behind a lot of experience in cultivating the spirit and three secret magical powers in the jade slip, and at the end there was a special God-Calling Spell.

Senior Xuan Xiao failed in overcoming the tribulation. On his way back to the Xiyuan Holy Land, when he was checking the jade slips, he suddenly found a few words of instructions behind the summoning spell, asking him to come to Shigong Dike alone at night, chant the spell around the dike to help his remaining soul enter the underworld, etc.

It is particularly emphasized that one should avoid Taoist Xu's practice, otherwise all efforts will be in vain.

The moonlight is shining, and it is quiet and peaceful.

There were faint divine lights floating out from the jade slip, and wisps of black gas escaped from the dam.

The two circles and merged around the top of the stone dam. After about half a quarter of an hour, the weak and blurry shadow of the old man appeared.

After having experienced a life-threatening disaster, the old man calmly bowed and expressed his gratitude: "Thank you, Brother Zeng, for your help." Lao Li revealed in the secret letter that Brother Zeng, a spiritual practitioner, could be entrusted with important matters.

He took the risk of leaving a tiny bit of residual soul in the jade slip that would not be destroyed by the great catastrophe, and asked Brother Zeng to go to Shigong Dike and use the God Summoning Spell to merge the insignificant residual soul with the remaining soul power in the dam.

Wanting to cheat the heavens and survive may seem simple, but in reality it is a gamble with your life.

If he entrusts the task to the wrong person, or if Zeng Daoyou fails to complete the task within three days, the consequences will be too serious, and he will completely collapse from heaven and earth.

Practitioners rarely gamble their lives unless they have no choice.

Zeng Wanglou returned the greeting and said, "Senior, you are too polite. Do you need to recuperate for a while before entering the netherworld?"

Some things become clear after retrospection.

He had already guessed that Senior Xuan Xiao had risked everything to forcibly stimulate his cultivation and elevate it to the eighth level in order to use the great calamity to erase past causes and traces, just to summon the gods into the netherworld and reincarnation.

The old man waved his hand and refused: "No, it would be a hassle to avoid more trouble."

"understood."

Zeng Wanglou performed a ritual and chanted an incantation, then after a moment he stretched out his hand and waved it towards the sky. For high-level spiritual practitioners, it was not too difficult to comprehend the power of the netherworld. A deep, dark line appeared in the sky, revealing a chilling and eerie air.

The old man reminded him, "When you ascend to the upper realm in the future, you can go to the Ancient Plains Terrace in Zhoushan Territory and join the Golden Armor Sect. Take the jade slip I give you as a token of trust, and don't spend too much time in the lower realm."

After he finished speaking, he turned into a black gas and plunged into the underworld.

Zeng Wanglou bowed and watched the insignificant temporary entrance to the ghost world disappear. He then flew into the air, retracted the black umbrella, took a step forward and disappeared. The sea water hit the stone dam, making a loud noise.

Once he has mastered and understood the magical powers, secret techniques and insights in the jade slip and his strength has greatly increased, it will be time for him to ascend to the upper realm.

When you go to the upper realm, you can decide whether to join the Golden Armor Sect after comparison.

……

Monster-catching mountain, Qingyan Peak.

"Uncle, the night before yesterday, an unknown mysterious master survived a great calamity over a deserted island 500 miles northeast of the Great Qiang Dynasty. I received the letter yesterday morning and made a special trip there."

Xu Shengtian was shocked and said, "Master Uncle Meng and the others all went there, but they couldn't find any information about the master. It's really strange. How could a mysterious eighth-level master appear quietly to overcome the tribulation? It's a pity that he failed in the end and left nothing behind."

Xu Yuanchang put down his teacup and said leisurely, "There are masters living in seclusion in the countryside. It has been like this since ancient times. There is nothing to be surprised about."

Xu Shengtian quickly poured tea for his uncle and asked with a smile: "Master Uncle Meng and the others speculated that maybe it was a master who was stranded in the lower world thousands of years ago and just woke up from a deep sleep to heal his wounds. They said that you are knowledgeable, can you recognize that person's whereabouts?" He lowered his voice and asked: "Didn't you save a Shinto senior from Shigong Dike?"

"Tell them that I don't know anyone who has survived the catastrophe. Besides, if you haven't survived the catastrophe, everything will turn to ashes. It's useless to mention it any more."

Xu Yuanchang sent his nephew away perfunctorily.

The matter was too complicated and unclear, and he didn't want his nephew to be involved.

Xu Shengtian guessed that it was the Shinto senior who was rescued by his uncle and his friends who was going through the tribulation, but he would not say anything to others, so he asked again, "Didn't Mr. Zeng come back?"

"Mr. Zeng has gained some benefits. He needs to find a quiet island to practice in seclusion for a few years."

Xu Yuanchang threw two pill bottles to his nephew and said, "These are the spirit-refining pills that Elder Zeng gave you. Don't run around everywhere. Spend more time practicing."

After putting away the pill bottle, Xu Shengtian stood up and said, "Uncle, don't worry, it won't delay your practice. It's all right, I'll leave first."

He didn't ask about the treasure again. If there was any benefit, his uncle would not forget him.

Xu Yuanchang sat alone on the top of the peak, drinking tea and enjoying the mountain breeze.

Tomorrow, he would go back to Bailin Valley in Qingping County, a place he had not visited for many years, to take a walk and have some time to practice in seclusion.

……

(End of this chapter)