I've already become an immortal lord, and only now is the spiritual energy reviving?

Imperial Sword Sect, main hall.

Beneath the plaque that reads "Sword Opens the Heavenly Gate," four cultivators stand facing each other.

Master Langche's face was gloomy. With his right hand clenched, a stream of water gathered out of thin air and surged and rippled in his palm.

He stepped forward, his words chilling: "Xu Sixing died and his spirit vanished, leaving no trace of his body."

"Zhu Xuan and I are here by order of the sect leader to guard Blackwater and oversee the Wang family."

"Senior Brother Yuzhang, you have repeatedly sent people to stir up trouble. What are your true intentions?"

The sound was not loud, but the golden pillars inside the hall hummed.

Yu Zhang's eyes were slightly closed, and his fingertips rhythmically tapped the armrest, seemingly oblivious to any questioning.

"presumptuous!"

Yuan Lian could no longer contain himself and angrily rebuked:

"Lang Che! Don't make a mountain out of a molehill! If Xu Sixing hadn't betrayed his sect and defected to the enemy, how could this have happened... Pfft!"

The scolding abruptly stopped.

Before anyone knew it, three or five transparent blood holes appeared in his chest, and a strange noise came from behind him.

A crimson furnace with three legs and two handles burst forth from the sky, its walls engraved with a picture of a fire crow carrying the sun.

A crack appeared in the middle of the furnace, and real fire leaked out, spewing forth its energy.

Damaging one's foundation is tantamount to destroying one's cultivation.

Yuan Lian felt a metallic taste in his throat, and blood gushed from his heart.

"snort."

Elder Yu Zhang finally opened his eyes.

A white light surged out, forcibly sealing the blood hole in Yuan Lian's chest and holding back the collapsing furnace.

"Thank you so much, Senior Brother..."

Yuan Lian staggered backward, his eyes filled with resentment.

Lang Che flicked his wrist slightly, his tone laced with sarcasm:

"A dignified mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator who can't even withstand a single blow? Has all his cultivation gone to waste? Or has he been a lackey of the Wen family for too long, making him spineless?"

"you!"

Yuan Lian was furious, but dared not move forward even half a step.

Yu Zhang stood up, his figure gradually blurring, and the surrounding space collapsed.

One side of the [Taize Reform Execution Platform] broke through the fog.

On the platform stood a guillotine, its blade frosty white, gleaming coldly, beneath which lay corpses, billowing with blinding white steam.

Once Daoji appeared, all weapons and armor spontaneously cried out in sorrow and submitted.

"Lang Che".

Yu Zhang's voice was calm: "The sect leader is in seclusion. You have no respect for your elders. Since you want an explanation, I will grant you one."

On the execution platform, the guillotine trembled.

"ha!"

Lang Che laughed instead of being afraid.

"Want to fight? I'll go with you!"

The sound of the tide rose loudly behind us.

A [Northern Darkness Dragon-Locking Boundless Eye] floated in mid-air, the seawater as black as ink, spinning at high speed and making a loud explosion.

Deep within the whirlpool of the sea eye, there dwells a one-horned black dragon, its collarbone pierced by nine chains, trapped in the center of the spring.

The dragon roared and struggled, and the more rapidly the whirlpool spun, the more terrifying the violent current of water, which seemed intent on devouring everything, became.

One is associated with "punishment and killing," severing the head and tail; the other is associated with "sealing off," with raging waves crashing.

"Snap!"

The main hall's beams and pillars collapsed, and the glazed golden tiles fell in a flurry.

The two late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators clashed, and it looked like they were about to slice off the summit of Yujian Peak.

At the critical moment.

A vibrant green willow branch suddenly emerged.

The Qi of Yi Wood thrives when it encounters water and bends when it encounters metal, like a ghost, resting on the major acupoint on the side of Yuan Lian's neck.

Zhu Xuan's bitter face appeared from the shadows.

He gently pinched the end of the willow twig with two fingers, his tone sincere, as if urging someone to drink tea:

"Junior Brother Yuanlian, don't move."

Yuan Lian dared not make a move.

Cold sweat poured down my back.

【Willow Branches in Spring】is a natal artifact that Zhu Xuan has nurtured within his body for sixty years by absorbing the essence of all trees.

Twenty years ago, a hot-tempered elder from Shangyao Sect came to provoke us.

Zhu Xuan only used this willow branch to whip the bamboo.

Before everyone's eyes, the Foundation Establishment cultivator wailed for three hours, his internal organs, meridians, flesh and blood all turning into tree roots and wood chips.

Finally, it broke through the skin and transformed into a human-shaped peach tree, while Daoji became fertilizer.

Yuan Lian's Adam's apple bobbed, and he cursed all the gods and Buddhas in the heavens in his heart.

Crazy! They're all fucking crazy!

I have the lowest cultivation level, so why am I the one who gets injured and threatened?!

With the situation spiraling out of control and a chaotic battle imminent, a conflict was about to break out.

That's enough.

The two words, spoken softly, shattered the oppressive atmosphere that filled the hall.

The execution platform of white bones has disappeared, the sea eye of the black dragon has calmed down, and the willow branch that hastened death has returned to the sleeve.

On the prayer mat in the center of the main hall, a female cultivator in plain clothes appeared out of nowhere, her expression serene.

Master Suwen.

Aside from the sect leader, he is the most unfathomable person in the Imperial Sword Sect.

Regardless of how angry they were, at this moment, all they could do was lower their heads and furrow their brows.

"I have met Senior Sister Suwen."

"With the sect leader in seclusion for life and death, are you all destroying our home to tell the outside world that the fate of the Imperial Sword Sect is sealed and it is only waiting to collapse?"

Yu Zhang's eyes twitched slightly, and she cupped her hands in a respectful gesture: "Senior Sister, you flatter me. Unfortunately, Lang Che is utterly disrespectful..."

"I said, that's enough."

"I am already aware of Xu Sixing's matter."

"Since he has died and his life has ended, the cause and effect are over. Even if he has some earth-shattering secrets, let it go. It's not worth risking the face of a living person."

"On the Immortal Deer Plain, there are many wolves and jackals who covet our sect."

"Yu Zhang, as a pillar of the sect, you should know the importance of this matter."

"Lang Che and Zhu Xuan, by the sect leader's decree, are to be stationed at Blackwater to oversee the Wang family. This matter concerns the sect's long-term plan."

"You've overreached."

The words were spoken.

Lang Che glanced at Yu Zhang with a gloating expression.

Yu Zhang's face was ashen. After a long silence, he lowered his head and replied, "Junior brother...I know I was wrong."

"It's good that you admit your mistake."

Suwen tossed out an antique-looking storage bag, which landed in Zhuxuan's arms.

"Zhuxuan, you and Langche should do your best."

"The sect leader will soon emerge from seclusion. Regardless of success or failure, the sect will remember your contributions."

"This is something left behind by the sect leader before he went into seclusion. Please keep it safe."

Zhu Xuan put away the storage bag: "Zhu Xuan obeys."

Suwen's figure faded away, leaving only one sentence:

"As for the Qinglu Mountain area, if anyone still has plans, I can't control them, and I'm too lazy to care."

"However, if you accidentally capsize in a ditch or are not skilled enough, do not implicate the sect."

Yu Zhang's eyes suddenly lit up, but were quickly concealed by deep apprehension.

He walked out of the hall, passing by Lang Che without stopping or saying a word.

......

They returned to their own cave dwelling.

Yu Zhang waved away his attendants, and the illusory image of the [Taize Reform Law Execution Platform] flickered, surrounded by white mist.

He let out a cold laugh.

"Suwen... what a fine Suwen!"

Who doesn't know that Suwen is the mouthpiece of the sect leader?

It means "private grudge".

This means that the sect's righteousness and legitimacy are no longer valid at Qinglu Mountain.

"The scene of Yun'er using the treasure seal to give feedback may fool others, but it can't fool me."

Yu Zhang spread his palms, and golden energy surged from them, revealing the flames that had soared into the sky and burned the heavens.

"Xu Sixing's sword strike was too fiery, too righteous!"

Although his Dao Foundation was filled with murderous intent, it was "dead metal," lacking the opportunity for transformation, thus he remained stuck in the late stage of Foundation Establishment for many years.

If we can find the source of the Yang Fire on Xu Sixing's body, introduce it into our Dao foundation, and place it under the execution platform!

By using intense heat to refine oil and stale mercury, "dead gold" is transformed into "real gold"...

"Perhaps this is my only chance in this lifetime to attain the Purple Mansion realm!"

Where is the warning? Where is the big picture?

Before the path to immortality, all is vanity!

"It seems that I must venture into the dragon's den and tiger's lair of Qinglu Mountain."

Yu Zhang closed his eyes. Behind him, on the execution platform made of white bones, the guillotine hung high, as if yearning for new sacrifices.

......

Qinglu Mountain, Guanhua Hall.

The long-awaited sunlight broke through the clouds and mist, casting a warm golden glow on the glazed tiles.

Inside the hall.

The deacons and elders who usually give orders are now kneeling on the ground in a dense, dark mass.

Everyone lowered their heads, held their breath, and couldn't help but steal glances at the two figures above.

Congratulations to the two Venerable Ones! May you enjoy eternal bliss and live as long as the heavens!

The shouts were like a tidal wave, shaking down the roof beams and dislodging the accumulated dust.

Foundation building!

A true Foundation Establishment Master!

Beside the grand master's chair.

Hua Yangzi stood tall and straight, more so than at any other time in his life.

The old Taoist priest looked to his left.

Chai Wu possessed boundless energy and a flawless, crystal-clear body, resembling an ancient guardian deity.

Then he looked to the right.

Shu Yan's aura was cool and clear, and her Dao foundation was relaxed and expansive.

A fantastical great river flows ceaselessly, and in its heart rises a platform called "The Platform of the Mind-Monkey, Reflecting the Consciousness-Only Image".

A white ape holds its heart, which reflects the cold moon, ever-changing and unpredictable.

Hua Yangzi smiled through his tears, his beard completely soaked.

"Master...can you see him?"

"Our Guanhuamen... has stood up."

Looking back, when the main lineage collapsed, they had to endure all sorts of humiliation and disdain for a few fragments of spirit stones.

Looking at the present, the army is strong and well-equipped, with two foundations firmly in place!

This legacy, even if taken to the grave, will give us face before our ancestors!

Hua Yangzi wiped away his tears and coughed lightly:

"Now that the foundation has been laid, we cannot continue as before."

"According to the rules of the Xuanhuang Realm, we should announce to Heaven and Earth that we should re-establish our Daoist name, so as to express our will and let outsiders know our name."

The old Taoist priest gazed at the two with a kind expression.

"Yan'er, you simpleton... no, Chai Wu, have you thought it through?"

Chai Wu pondered for a moment, then grinned:

"I am a rough man, not well-educated, and don't understand elegance."

"All my skills come from being able to take a beating. As long as I stand, my family will be safe. I can withstand even if the sky falls and the earth collapses."

"My junior sister said that my destiny is 'Bearing the Mountain and Guarding the Pass,' so my Daoist title will be..."

"Zhenyue".

Master Zhenyue.

With a single hand, he smoothed over countless treacherous mountains, protecting only the inch of safety behind him.

Shu Yan moved gracefully with light, lotus-like steps.

"I cultivate the Yogacara school, where truth and falsehood are indistinguishable, like flowers in a mirror or the moon's reflection in water."

"But Guanhua Gate must be upright and dignified, shining like the sun and moon across the sky, and its brilliance will last for ten thousand generations."

"Water has no heart, but the moon has a reflection."

"My Taoist name is..."

"Qing Yan."

Hua Yangzi, his hand trembling, handed over two shimmering purple-gold tokens that represented his status as a Supreme Elder.

"Good! Good! Zhenyue! Qingyan!"