Ziwei Immortal Path

Chapter 134: Difficult to Distinguish Between Gods and Ghosts
Just as Xu Boyang was in shock and contemplation, he heard Ding Tianshi say:
"Yunshan, you've been in the Immortal Sect for quite some time now, traveling back and forth. You've noticed that any family in the Qingshen Sect with a surname of Xu is willing to accept them as their own, and my family is no exception. Do you know why?"

"Now that great events are approaching, there's no need to hide some things. I'll tell you the reason. It's all because over a thousand years ago, the world was in turmoil, the land was falling apart, the Daoist sect suffered a severe blow, and never recovered. The ancient cultivators died out, almost becoming extinct. Buddhists, Confucians, sorcerers, and witches took advantage of the situation, stirring up trouble, staking out territory and claiming their own kingdoms."

"In order to survive, our Taoist sect was forced to cede territory and seek peace. We lived in a corner of the East, enduring humiliation and bearing heavy burdens. It was not until his Xu family's ancestors produced the first Huangting Yushi after the collapse of the Heavenly Dao that we were able to achieve the revival of Taoism and create the four Qingshen counties of today!"

"This man from the Xu family suddenly appeared, and he could be said to be the greatest Green God in over a thousand years. His talent is unmatched to this day. For Green Gods at that time, his status was prominent and respected, no less than that of the ancient True Lords. Legend has it that he almost achieved the Dao of Purple Mansion and became a True Man through his own efforts. Unfortunately, he was plotted against and died, his efforts were undone."

"But what can be said is that without this man's strategic maneuvering and reviving the Dao, there would be no 'Langfeng Peak' and no Qingshen Four Sects that currently stand on equal footing with other sects in the country!"

"Do you know what the bloodline of the first Taoist priest to revive this sect means?
"This means that this person and his descendants are very likely to have the fate of becoming a Purple Palace immortal or even higher! This means that in this turbid world, there is a high possibility that the first person to defy the will of heaven and ascend since the collapse of the Heavenly Dao will appear!"

"Because no one knows how this person achieved enlightenment as a Huang Ting Yu Shi on his own!"

"Now that this kid has accidentally inherited the 'Langfeng Peak' lineage, it's all karma, destiny, and the will of the Great Dao. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, he'll be a candidate for a Qingshen Yushi or Star Official in about a hundred years. If I didn't know about this, it would be fine, but now that I know, how can I let him go?"

"Whether it succeeds or not, it's ultimately a matter of playing the long game to catch the big fish. We Taoist disciples all hope to restore the ancient immortal practices. You must know that the world has suffered from 'Langfeng Peak' for a long time!"

Xu Boyang was shocked and broke out in a cold sweat. Ding Tianshi said this loudly and without any scruples. His blatant rebellious heart and wolfish ambition were obvious and about to burst out!

"This Ding family really has evil intentions!"

Xu Boyang was shocked and felt like he was falling into an ice cave. Only then did he understand that the Ding family had had bad intentions all these years. They had used the Wang family to favor the family and raised Feng Qing because of the relationship with their ancestors. It seemed that all of this was a deliberate arrangement.

"But I've never heard of any Taoist priests in their family? Could it be one of those other Xu families in Fulong Town?"

"…No, my father once said that our family had a heroic woman who made all the men in the world bow down to her. Could she be the Huangting Yushi, the first of the Taoist revival?"

What Ding Tianshi and Ding Yunshan said tonight was so shocking, like a thunderclap in the plain, which was deafening. However, Xu Boyang was filled with mixed feelings after hearing it.

Now that I have heard and seen it, there is no doubt that the Ding family has the intention of rebellion. The previous suspicions have been revealed. But now it seems that the Ding family is dissatisfied with "Langfeng Peak" and wants to break the shackles of the four Qingshen sects, rather than targeting the entire Taoism. This is nothing more than a rebellion of the lower against the higher, and it is probably not easy to tell who is right and who is wrong.

However, although Xu Boyang thought it was difficult to tell whether the Ding family was right or wrong, he did not think it was right for the Ding family to collude with Confucianism and the barbarians. After all, this was a dangerous act of seeking the skin of a tiger and inviting a wolf into the house. What's more, the barbarians and the monsters, putting aside personal relationships, from a general perspective, those who are not of our race must have different hearts.

The reason is easy to understand. In the face of the absolute strength of "Langfeng Peak", even if the Ding family of Guangyuchuan tries their best, they will hardly have a chance of winning.

Now it seems that this family is probably brewing some conspiracy and intrigue, aiming to overthrow the rule of "Langfeng Peak" and reshape the order of Qingshen Taoism!

But for Xu Boyang at the moment, this is a struggle between superiors. He cannot tell right from wrong and can only watch and listen. Moreover, for the sake of his own safety, he does not intend to tell anyone for the time being.

Because Xu Boyang was clear-headed and self-aware, he knew that as a ninth-level Nengyuan cultivator, any Yushi family would be a behemoth to him, while he was alone and as small as an ant. If he resisted without knowledge, he would surely die and his family would be destroyed. There would be no other outcome.

Unless there is other force that can compete with it!

But who knows whether "Langfeng Peak" is a god or a ghost, and whether the Ding family are heroes who rise up in rebellion or traitors who are greedy for power and authority?
Xu Boyang knew himself very well. He was too weak at the moment and could not influence the current situation at all. Moreover, he did not want to be involved in the vortex of power struggle for no reason.

After hearing this, he had only one thought in his mind: after the Taihe Jingwu Banquet was over, no matter whether he could win a place or not, he must take his family away from Fengqing Town and stay away from the Ding family as soon as possible!

At this time, Ding Tianshi said again:
"Yunshan, don't worry too much. Just focus on the battle. No matter from the perspective of family background or the path of cultivation, Xu Boyang will not be our enemy."

"The immortal path is ruthless, the great path is righteous. This is vividly demonstrated at Langfeng Peak. Moreover, he is not the only one who has received the teachings of the Immortal Master in Qingshen. Even though he has obtained this Taoist tradition, he still faces many difficulties. If he cannot pass this Taihe Jingwu Feast, whether he can even establish his foundation is still a big question."

"If I can't build a foundation, I will end up being nothing more than a small town guest abandoned by others, living a mediocre life, lost in the crowd."

"Even if he can join the Immortal Sect and establish his Immortal Foundation, if he fails to attain the Huangting Realm after becoming a Foundation Establishment cultivator, or if he learns about his family's past and bears a deep blood feud, or if he has to kneel down and accept charity, he will naturally understand all of this and stand on our side."

"And now, good news has come from heaven. The world is about to change dramatically. Perhaps we don't have to wait until that day. Who knows how long it will take. The country will change its banner. You and he will be like-minded comrades."

Ding Yunshan nodded and said, "Uncle, I understand."

Xu Boyang breathed a sigh of relief as he watched the two of them leave one after another. From Ding Tianshi's words, he could conclude that he was safe for the time being. It turned out that the Ding family became suspicious of him because he practiced too fast. Fortunately, this matter was an accident and was entirely blamed on "Langfeng Peak".

In this case, there is no need to worry about it anymore. Just take care of yourself and make your own plans. According to Ding Tianshi, as long as you can enter the Six Dings and Six Jias of Tianyuan and Diyuan, it should not be a problem to build your own foundation.

As for his own family, after the conference, if he gets a ranking, he can smoothly join the branch of the Immortal Sect. Then he can move his family out of Fengqing, away from the troubles. When he obtains a Lihuo Shenyuan Pill and successfully builds the foundation, if he really can't stay there, he will simply fly away and leave Qingshen.

The world is so big that there is always a place for you to stay.

However, Xu Boyang was worried that the Ding family was now rebellious, and whether they would be willing to help refine a Lihuo Shenyuan Pill for him according to Qingshen's rules.

Since the Ding family is dissatisfied with the rules set by "Langfeng Peak", how could they act according to the rules?

I hope there will be other forces to check and balance his family, making him feel fearful and afraid to act rashly.

Xu Boyang pondered silently, gradually calmed down, sat cross-legged again, and closed his eyes.

After a moment, his eyes suddenly opened, his gaze was firm, and a raging fire ignited in his heart again!

"The heavens are about to change... The heavens are about to change... The situation in Qingshen is turbulent and uncertain, and time is of the essence! Time is of the essence, and we must obtain the Six Ding of the Earth Yuan at the Taihe Jingwu Feast!"

Xu Boyang activated his [Demon Lord's Divine Sense] and carefully observed the area where there were no patrolling cultivators. He then took out a talisman and flicked his finger. The talisman paper burned out and turned into a colorful light array that covered the entire room. It was the "Three-in-One Glazed Talisman Array" for the Condensation Period that he had bought in Yuchuan City.

Xu Boyang had seen this formation before at the bottom of Tangchuan River in Qingxuan Town. Its power was only average, but it was cheap, costing only thirty spirit stones per piece.

This was the cheapest talisman in the Talisman Array series. While not particularly useful, it was still effective at isolating human voices and auras. It was also quiet, making virtually no sound, unlike the [Spirit Jade Pendant], which emitted psychic energy and was easily detected by spiritual consciousness.

Xu Boyang made a move with his hand, and the monk Li's head flew out from the [Yin Shen Buddha Shrine] and landed lightly on the table.

"Li Lao, long time no see."

Since arriving in Yuchuan, Xu Boyang has obtained a lot of useful information, but there are still some questions in his mind that remain unanswered. Unfortunately, Ding Xuelian follows him like a shadow and he is under surveillance in the inn. During this period, Xu Boyang has not dared to release Monk Li.

After entering the academy, he was busy looking at this and that, studying his opponents, but he accidentally discovered the secret of the Ding family's intention to rebel. At this time, he was focused on winning the first place in the Taihe Jingwu Banquet, so he summoned Monk Li and asked him about it.

As soon as Monk Li landed on the table, he opened his eyes and saw Xu Boyang. He smiled and said:

"The Patriarch has returned to Yuchuan? This is..."

Before he finished speaking, his smile suddenly froze, his eyes rolled around, looking at the decorations around the room, with a look of surprise on his face, muttering,

"That's not right... This place... looks so much like the dormitory of Taihe Academy... Patriarch, where are you? Patriarch, you didn't go back to Yuchuan?"

The more Monk Li looked at it, the more he felt something was wrong. Suddenly, his expression changed.
"No! Patriarch! Are you here to attend the Taihe Jingwu Banquet?"

"Well, what you said is both right and wrong. It's true that this is the Taihe Academy, but it's in Yuchuan. And you guessed it right, I'm here to attend the Taihe Jingwu Banquet."

Facing Monk Li's question, Xu Boyang started to explain.
"But you don't know that this year's Taihe Jingwu Banquet is held in Yuchuan."

Monk Li heaved a sigh of relief:
"So that's how it is. Each of the four cities of Qingshen has a Taihe Academy, and the layout is exactly the same from inside to outside."

"I know that."

Xu Boyang nodded, and pursed his lips slightly.

"I remember that Li Lao was also a cultivator from the Huaiyou Immortal Sect in Yuchuan. How do you feel about returning to Yuchuan after a hundred years and seeing the Taihe Academy again?"

"Master, don't joke around."

Monk Li laughed dryly, his old face darkened, and he said in a hoarse voice,

"I'm a Qingshen traitor, having long been expelled. Revisiting my old place is ultimately nothing more than a dream. What feelings can I have?"

Xu Boyang saw that his old face was dejected and knew that he was upset, so he stopped teasing him, restrained his expression, and said seriously:

"Well, Mr. Li, you have a special status and can't be out for too long, so I won't be long-winded. Let's make it short. I called you out this time mainly to tell you two things."

"First, you should know why I am attending the Taihe Jingwu Banquet. I am not one who seeks fame, wealth, or power. I come here for nothing but a Lihuo Shenyuan Pill."

"Secondly, as a cultivator from the Yuchuan Huaiyou Immortal Sect, you should understand the cultivation situation of the immortal sect cultivators. Please tell me in detail. I am determined to win this Taihe Jingwu Banquet. The battle is imminent, and I don't want to fight a battle without confidence!"

Monk Li sighed softly, feeling a mixture of joy and sorrow, and spoke his mind honestly:
"The Patriarch didn't want to take me to find 'Firefly Reflecting the Snow'. It turns out he wants to enter 'Langfeng Peak'. The Patriarch is truly amazing. This unconventional and ingenious approach can indeed circumvent his shackles."

"Please rest assured, Patriarch, in Qingshen, as long as the four sects have something, Langfeng Peak has it. Even if the four sects don't have something, Langfeng Peak still has it."

"It's just that, alas... that place is too close to the real people. I heard that it restricts people's hands and feet, and even their souls. If the head of the family goes there, building a foundation should not be a problem. I'm afraid that after building a foundation, he will be imprisoned and controlled for the rest of his life, and it will be difficult for him to roam freely in the world anymore."

"I misunderstood."

Xu Boyang shook his head and said,

"The Six Heavenly Origins and I are too unrealistic at this moment. I only intend to seize the top three of the Six Earthly Origins. I only need to enter the branch of the Immortal Sect. According to the rules of Qingshen, as long as I enter the Immortal Sect, the Immortal Sect will grant me elixirs to help me build my foundation."

"Master of the house."

Monk Li smiled bitterly and whispered,
"But you are the [Nine Purple Fire], so if you have a single spiritual energy, it's fine. Even two or three wouldn't be a big problem. But if you cultivate three or more spiritual energies, you must reach the Langfeng Peak. If you refuse to go to the Ding family, then your only goal is to be the Tianyuan Six Jia, and you must be the first in the first Jia!"

"Number one among the Tianyuan Six Jia?"

Xu Boyang's face changed slightly. Seeing Monk Li's genuine feelings, which did not seem to be fake, he was surprised after all because he knew very little. He could not help but whispered,
"Are you kidding me? Tianyuan-level competitions require Foundation Establishment cultivators to participate. I'm only at the ninth level of Condensation Yuan right now. How can I possibly defeat a Foundation Establishment cultivator?"

Monk Li sighed and said:

"Master, think carefully. If you seize the Six Earthly Dings, the ultimate outcome will be joining the branch of the Immortal Sect. In the end, you will still fall into the hands of the Four Immortal Sects' Feathered Priests. You have cultivated the [Nine Purple Fires]. Which Feathered Priest can help you now? After all, it's still the one from Samadhi Mountain!"

"If you want to get around him, you can only do so by becoming the number one of the six Tianyuan masters, becoming a registered disciple of the real person, and entering the 'Langfeng Peak'. Otherwise, everything is just empty talk."

"Of course, there is another way, which is to buy time. You can first capture the Six Ding of the Earthly Yuan, and then endure for another eight years in the branch of the Immortal Sect to recuperate and gather your strength. Then, wait for the next Taihe Jingwu Banquet for the decisive battle!"

How could Xu Boyang wait for eight years? The Ding family was already plotting something evil, and if things went wrong they might attack at any time. After eight years, he was afraid that his family would have been dragged into the abyss by them, from which there would be no return.

Besides, he is already 27 years old. In eight years, he will be 35 years old, which means he is over 30 years old. How can he still participate in the Taihe Jingwu Banquet?
Faced with Monk Li's convincing words, Xu Boyang was puzzled and asked:
"But as far as I know, among all the cultivators at the Condensation Stage and the Foundation Establishment Stage that I have met, some have cultivated more than one spiritual energy."

"How do you explain this?"

(End of this chapter)