This humble Taoist priest, Qianhe, begins his quest for immortality by slaying demons and monsters.

Chapter 134 Colliding with the Supreme Spirit Illusion, Killing the Red-Robed Fire Ghost
Zhong Bai's original goal was to head straight for Maoshan, but he abandoned the idea after leaving the valley.

"Father, why do you think we should return to the Central Plains from beyond the Great Wall?"

"I already told you, this trip back to the Central Plains is to pay respects to your master."

In the forest path, a father and daughter were hurrying along. The middle-aged man was about forty years old and was pulling a wooden cart. In front of him was a girl of about seventeen or eighteen years old. Both of them were wearing fur, which was obviously not the clothing of the Central Plains.

Zhong Bai noticed the father and daughter when he left the valley. As for why Zhong Bai paid attention to them, the reason was simple: the middle-aged man and Lin Fengjiao and Mao Xiaofang had some similarities. In addition, this man had already reached the eighth level of Qi Refining, and Zhong Bai could clearly sense that the middle-aged man was about to break through to the ninth level of Qi Refining.

Such age combined with such strength is something that most people would find hard to achieve.

The woman was equally remarkable. From what Zhong Bai could see, she must have started practicing martial arts from a young age, and her martial arts skills had already reached a level of internal strength, making it difficult for ordinary people to get close to her.

Zhong Bai's appearance was quite abrupt; he descended from the sky on a sword, but in the middle-aged man's eyes, it looked more like he jumped down from the treetop.

Before the middle-aged man could even speak, Zhong Bai blocked his way, and the woman, holding a long spear, stood in front of him.

"Why did you jump down at this time when the road was wide open?"
You do look handsome, but your behavior is highly suspicious!

"You're not a robber, are you?"

When the robbers were mentioned, a hint of excitement flashed in the woman's eyes. It was as if she was about to stab several holes in Zhong Bai's body with her spear as soon as Zhong Bai nodded.

"Xiao Shuang, don't be rude!"

The middle-aged man behind her shouted, and the woman named Xiaoshuang reluctantly stepped behind him.

Upon seeing Zhong Bai, the man's brows furrowed. Although Zhong Bai was young, his aura, like that of an abyss, made Ao Tianlong realize that the Taoist in front of him was definitely not an ordinary person!
Taking a deep breath, Ao Tianlong tried his best to remain calm.

"Fellow Daoist, may I ask which mountain you haile from?"

Ao Tianlong wasn't stupid. He knew that Zhong Bai's temperament was something that no small sect could cultivate. Upon hearing this, Zhong Bai smiled calmly.

"I am Zhong Bai, a Taoist priest from Maoshan!"

"What! You're actually from Maoshan?"
"Father, this Taoist priest actually claims to be from Maoshan! If I remember correctly, you're also a Maoshan disciple. Hmph, you don't even recognize him, so this guy must be an imposter. Let me teach him a lesson and see if he dares to lie again!"

Xiao Shuang started clamoring and was about to grab her gun and go forward.

Before Xiao Shuang could take a step, Ao Tianlong pulled her back behind him.

"Maoshan, Zhong Bai?"

Ao Tianlong kept muttering to himself. He had been away from the Central Plains for eighteen years. He wasn't very familiar with Maoshan. The reason was simple: his master was indeed a disciple of Maoshan, but after his master took him and his fellow disciple as disciples, neither of them were able to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage and return to Maoshan.

Therefore, although Ao Tianlong can be considered a disciple of Maoshan, he has never actually been to Maoshan; he only uses this as a gimmick.

To be more precise, Ao Tianlong never received ordination at Maoshan and cannot be considered a Maoshan disciple.

Having not returned to the Central Plains for eighteen years, Ao Tianlong had never heard of Zhong Bai's name, which was quite novel in both the Buddhist and Taoist worlds.

Zhong Bai could tell that the middle-aged man in front of him wasn't doing this on purpose; he genuinely didn't recognize him.

Zhong Bai then smiled and said, "It seems you haven't been in the Central Plains for too long..."

Upon hearing this, Ao Tianlong was somewhat surprised.

"Master Zhong, you could even tell that?"

Zhong Bai pointed to their fur coats, "Isn't it obvious?"

"I see!" Ao Tianlong realized something; indeed, his and Xiao Shuang's attire was too conspicuous.

"I am Ao Tianlong, a disciple of Maoshan. Since you are a disciple of Maoshan, it is unlikely that you have heard of my name."

Just as I do not know you, for a full eighteen years, I have spent my life deep in the desert.

This is my first time returning to the Central Plains, so there may be some inconveniences. I hope you will forgive me, fellow Daoist!

Zhong Bai roughly understood the identity of the person in front of him; no wonder she resembled Lin Fengjiao somewhat.

"Fellow Daoist Ao, it's alright. It was my sudden appearance that disturbed you and your daughter."

Hearing Zhong Bai and her father chatting animatedly, Xiao Shuang looked like a wilted flower, lowered her head and sighed.

"Where are you headed, Fellow Daoist Ao?"

Zhong Bai's question made Ao Tianlong hesitate, but he still did not hide anything.

"To be honest, fellow Daoist, I haven't returned to the Central Plains for eighteen years. I've come here to offer incense to my master."

Our destination is Ping'an County.

Upon hearing that it was on the way, Zhong Bai simply abandoned his idea of ​​returning to Maoshan now.

“Ping’an County? It just so happens that my senior sister’s temple is located in Ping’an County. Would you be willing to travel with me?”

Before Ao Tianlong could even refuse, Xiao Shuang was already making a fuss about wanting to refuse.

"Since you wish to travel with me, I am naturally willing!"

Seeing that her father had actually agreed, Xiao Shuang was so angry she wanted to bite him.

"Humph!"

......................................................

Having Zhong Bai as a companion on the road was a disaster for Xiao Shuang. Watching her father and Zhong Bai talk about the essence of the Taoist canon, Xiao Shuang felt that her father had been stolen. Xiao Shuang was sullen the whole way. She was a big girl of seventeen or eighteen, but she was like a punching bag with her emotions written all over her face.

Zhong Bai and Ao Tianlong traveled together, and the more Ao Tianlong chatted with Zhong Bai, the more he felt Zhong Bai's systematic crushing power.

The feeling of being inferior to the other party in every aspect completely shattered Ao Tianlong's former arrogance, and he truly began to humbly seek advice from Zhong Bai.

"Buddha is the Tao? Hahaha, what a wonderful idea that Buddha is the Tao! Fellow Daoist Zhong's ideas are imaginative yet full of wisdom. To be honest, this is the first time in my eighteen years that I have admired someone so much!"

“These are nothing. Fellow Daoist Ao has stayed in the desert for eighteen years. I admire your perseverance as well.”

Wang Po sells melons, and they praise each other's wares.

As night fell, Zhong Bai would normally stop to meditate and cultivate, but Ao Tianlong, perhaps missing his master too much, stubbornly refused to stop, taking advantage of the bright moonlight.

Continuing on their journey, they finally spotted a glimmer of light ahead, clearly indicating that someone had set up camp there.

Even from a great distance, Zhong Bai had a smile on his face, but when he scanned the firelight ahead with his divine sense, his brows immediately furrowed.

"Xiao Shuang, there are people camping here ahead, we can rest now."

As soon as Ao Tianlong finished speaking, Xiao Shuang skipped and hopped happily forward.

Reaching the firelight, she saw three tents with a bonfire burning in the middle. Xiaoshuang assumed the people were asleep, but the candlelight inside was still on. She approached a tent and softly asked, "Is anyone home?"

There was no answer. Just as Xiao Shuang was about to ask again, Zhong Bai's cold voice rang out.

"No need to ask anymore, everyone in these three tents is already dead!"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Shuang froze, looking somewhat incredulous, and then pulled open the tent in front of her.

The moment the tent opened, a blood-soaked corpse collapsed to the ground. "Ah!"

"Father, he's dead, really dead!"

There were three corpses in the tent, all covered in blood and gore, as if they had been gnawed on.

Zhong Bai stood quietly in place, his divine sense exploring in all directions, but he still found nothing.

Ao Tianlong looked at Zhong Bai with a strange expression. He had not yet been able to sense that the person in the tent was dead, but Zhong Bai knew in advance. Either Zhong Bai had a keen sense of smell and could smell the blood in the air, or Zhong Bai was a Taoist master, just as he had guessed at the beginning!
"Xiao Shuang, don't be afraid."

Ao Tianlong remained calm. Death was a common occurrence in this era. Although he didn't know why the three people in front of him had died, Ao Tianlong was confident that the father and daughter were safe.

"Father, shall we continue on our way?"

Ao Tianlong looked at Xiao Shuang, who was already quite tired, and sighed.

"No need. Regardless of whether anyone has died, we still need to set up camp for the night. We'll just camp a few hundred meters ahead."

Pulling the wooden cart, Ao Tianlong made a decision.

As for Zhong Bai, he had not yet discovered what he was looking for, so he did not pay attention to such trivial matters.

After arriving at the location chosen by Ao Tianlong, he immediately stopped the wooden cart and set up the tent for the night. Xiao Shuang, however, was a restless girl. In the darkness, she spotted a snow-white rabbit in the nearby woods and became interested, so she took off chasing after it.

Upon seeing this, Zhong Bai immediately smiled.

"Sure enough, sometimes it's good to be familiar with the plot. We still need Miss Xiaoshuang to help us prepare."

Zhong Bai followed behind Xiao Shuang, several hundred meters away, so Xiao Shuang didn't notice him at all.

After chasing it westward for about a kilometer or two, Xiao Shuang saw the rabbit burrow into its hole. Having finally made it this far, Xiao Shuang was unwilling to give up.
Zhong Bai could see it clearly from a distance. With his divine sense probing, he saw that the cave was the hiding place of the red-robed fire demon!
Xiao Shuang reached into the hole with one hand, but only managed to pull out a few hairs, and immediately got angry.

"I just wanted to grab you to fill my stomach, and you're so ungrateful!"

Just as Xiao Shuang, still angry, was about to use fire to force the rabbit out, a red light flashed in the cave, and a sharp claw came straight for her face.

"Tsk tsk tsk, well hidden..."

Just then, a flying sword came flying from behind Xiao Shuang and accurately pierced the claw in front of her. In an instant, the red-robed fire ghost screamed in agony as the flying sword pierced through her arm. Although ghosts can regenerate, Zhong Bai's spirit sword was no ordinary weapon. Even just touching it caused a burning sensation that made the red-robed fire ghost suffer terribly.

The arrival of Zhong Bai calmed Xiao Shuang, who was somewhat flustered, and she stopped panicking. Instead, she stared at the red-robed fire ghost rolling around on the ground in front of her with great curiosity.

"Master Zhong Bai, your skills are truly amazing!"

This was Xiaoshuang's heartfelt sentiment. She had been learning martial arts since childhood and looked down on weak and effeminate men. Zhong Bai's methods gradually dispelled her initial disdain.

Zhong Bai didn't care about Xiao Shuang's opinion at all. The reason he followed the father and daughter was simply to capture and kill the red-robed fire ghost, and to find out Ao Tianlong's identity.

Now that he had achieved his goal, Zhong Bai couldn't be bothered to pay any attention to Xiao Shuang.

Approaching the red-robed fire demon, Zhong Bai smiled faintly.

"Late-stage Ghost Soldier, what a pity you've encountered me..."

Zhong Bai struck down with his palm, and lightning filled the air, instantly blasting the red-robed fire demon to death!

At the same time, Ao Tianlong also sensed something was wrong and rushed over. As soon as he arrived, he saw Zhong Bai killing the red-robed fire ghost.

"Foundation Establishment True Person!"

Ao Tianlong was stunned. Zhong Bai was actually a Foundation Establishment cultivator, so young, so unbelievable.

Upon seeing Ao Tianlong approach, Zhong Bai pointed to the red-robed fire demon that had turned to ashes. "Fellow Daoist Ao, I have already slain this red-robed fire demon."

Although you are considered a half-disciple of Maoshan, you have never been formally ordained at Maoshan, so you are not a true Maoshan disciple. My suggestion is that after you have offered incense to your master in Ping'an County, you can come to Maoshan to formally receive your ordination!

After all, fellow Daoist's talent is quite good, and there is a possibility of Foundation Establishment in the future. However, compared with the foundation of the sect, one's personal strength is still too weak.

Once you reach Maoshan, you'll have access to a vast and open world!

Zhong Bai's words were not meant to give Ao Tianlong special treatment. Maoshan has had this rule since ancient times: if a disciple from a different generation is exceptionally talented, he can go to Maoshan to receive the ordination.

For example, Lin Fengjiao's disciples Qiusheng and Wencai, if they can reach the sixth level of Qi Refining in the future, they can be granted a title and sent to guard a region. If not, they will be like Ao Tianlong now, unable to cultivate other supernatural powers and techniques of Maoshan, and can only watch helplessly as they drift further and further away from the Great Dao in this lifetime.

Zhong Bai felt that Ao Tianlong's talent was no less than that of Lin Fengjiao and the others. After all, Ao Tianlong had not used any profound techniques or received support from his sect. He had reached the eighth level of Qi Refining entirely on his own.

Zhong Bai is a Taoist priest from Maoshan, so giving the other party a reminder is within his duty.

Ao Tianlong listened in silence.

He was well aware that once he reached the ninth level of Qi Refining, his path would be cut off. Unless he went to Maoshan to receive the ordination, he would never have the cultivation method to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage in his lifetime.

Looking at Xiao Shuang beside him, Ao Tianlong was unable to calm down for a long time.

"Master, I will consider this matter carefully. Thank you for your help just now, otherwise my daughter would probably be..."

"It's nothing, just a small favor. I won't be going to Ping'an County. Farewell. I hope to see you at Maoshan, Ao Tianlong!"

After giving Ao Tianlong a faint smile, Zhong Bai drew his spirit sword and flew into the sky.

In the blink of an eye, it disappeared into the vast sky.

"Hiss, sword control technique! Thunder magic, this Master Zhong seems to be quite terrifying..."

Is this the treatment given to the authentic Maoshan disciples?

Ao Tianlong was somewhat tempted; he didn't want his future to be cut off.

"Wow!

Father, it turns out that this Master Zhong was actually a god-like figure, able to fly on a sword. Isn't that a supernatural power that only exists in myths and legends?

"Father, Shuang'er wants to learn!"

Hearing this, Ao Tianlong's lips twitched slightly. His silly daughter, you still want to learn?
He, as the father, doesn't even have the right...

Ten days later.

Ao Tianlong brought Xiao Shuang to Ping'an County, where she met her junior brother and sister.

"Big Brother!"

Looking at Ao Tianlong, Fatty Cat felt a pang of sadness. Back then, the two were rivals in love as fellow disciples, but after eighteen years apart, when they met again, Ao Tianlong already had a son with his junior sister, while the senior brother in front of him already had a daughter. Things had changed, and for a moment, all the past grievances were put aside.

"Junior brother!"

Upon meeting Fat Cat, Ao Tianlong was eager to inquire about Zhong Bai from him.

"I wonder if you, junior brother, have ever heard of the name Zhong Bai, a disciple of Maoshan?"

Upon hearing this, the fat cat was dumbfounded...

No, we absolutely cannot stop!
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(End of this chapter)