Martial Arts Crossover: The Sweeping Monk of Wudang? That's our patriarch!

"Why are you two so aloof? I have come here with important matters to entrust to you, and some private words to say... You can't just refuse to let me in the door, can you?" His voice carried a hint of grievance and a touch of probing.

Lin Daochen couldn't help but turn to Jiang Ziya and ask, "Senior, this gentleman... is he an old acquaintance of yours? Why do you treat him like he's some kind of filthy vegetable?"

Jiang Ziya and Shen Gongbao exchanged a glance, then chuckled, their gazes sharp as knives as they swept over Lin Daochen: "Fool, he's not here for us! He's clearly here for you! The Heavenly Water Immortal—guess who he's from the same sect as? The Heavenly Mountain Immortal! You just got into trouble, and his junior brother shows up at your door right after. Can this be a coincidence?"

Lin Daochen's heart skipped a beat, and a chill ran down his spine: So that's how it is!

He hurriedly asked, "Then, senior, what should we do now? The Heavenly Emperor personally warned us not to start a conflict lightly... But this Celestial Immortal has arrived so quickly, should I confront him head-on, or should I avoid him for now?"

Jiang Ziya waved his hand, his expression relaxing somewhat: "It's not necessary to draw his sword immediately. He probably really came here to ask us for a favor, and it was just a coincidence that he ran into you. But now that he recognizes you, he'll definitely inform you when he gets back—that fellow from Tianshan has a temper hotter than gunpowder, and I'm afraid he'll be coming up the mountain with his sword in less than three days."

Lin Daochen lowered his brows, his voice suddenly becoming deep and cold, carrying a sharp edge.

"If he dares to step through this door, we'll just wreck this place right there and then—what's there to be afraid of? At worst, we'll just splatter blood and lose our lives."

"Young friend, you're certainly willing to go all out, but we old bones don't have your carefree spirit." Jiang Ziya sighed softly, his fingertips unconsciously stroking the rim of his teacup. "The situation is different now than before. If we also go all out and cause a ruckus, the entire cultivation world will probably be shaken to its core."

Lin Daochen's ears burned slightly, but his mind was perfectly clear: the two before him were, one a veteran who held the Investiture of the Gods, and the other a living fossil among weapon refiners, whose every move affected the fate of the Three Realms. They might leave some room for maneuver in their words, but they would never dare to cross the line even an inch.

Not to mention now—the knocking on the door is starting again, tap, tap, tap, unhurried yet like nails hammering into one's temple. Annoying, but one can't chase it away; angry, but one must greet it with a smile.

At this moment, Jiang Ziya and Shen Gongbao had to put on a show—a show for the Heavenly Immortal: they weren't protecting their own, but were merely playing along out of politeness. As long as this pretense remained, the storm wouldn't reach the Ziwei Emperor's case. Only if that person truly descended to the mortal realm to investigate would things truly collapse.

"In that case, when we open the door later, if he's still standing there and hasn't left, we'll put on a show of 'persuading him to leave'—so as not to be impolite and to stop him from coming back to bother us."

Lin Daochen nodded immediately. He always hated being disturbed, and Jiang Ziya's decision for him was not an overstepping of his bounds, but rather a timely help. He understood perfectly well what was going on.

After this experience, Lin Daochen's vigilance suddenly increased significantly. The sudden appearance of the Immortal of Tianshan made him experience for the first time what it meant to be hesitant to act—someone with powerful backing could not be killed, could not be beaten, and he dared not even speak too harshly. In the end, he could only swallow his anger, daring only to punish him slightly, but not daring to truly damage him, feeling extremely frustrated.

Jiang Ziya had just pushed open the wooden door of the thatched hut. A concealment barrier enveloped the hut, so no one outside could hear a word spoken inside. The Immortal of Tianshui, of course, was unaware of the turbulent undercurrents that had just passed inside.

"Oh, you've finally shown yourselves? That door was locked tight just now, like it was being used to keep thieves out!"

"Could it be that you thought I was being abrupt, which is why you banged on the door so loudly?"

The immortal from Tianshui spoke with a sharp tone, but Jiang Ziya laughed heartily, gestured for him to enter the house, and offered him a cup of hot tea, its aroma filling the air, a testament to his sincerity.

"Brother, you've wronged me! To be honest, I've been facing some unspeakable troubles both inside and outside my hut lately, and I've been negligent and careless for a while. I hope you'll forgive me."

The teacup was placed before him, and the Celestial Immortal's expression softened slightly. He was not a rude man to begin with, and seeing Jiang Ziya take the initiative to back down, he also withdrew his sharp edge. After only a brief pause, he went straight to his purpose:

"Brother Jiang, I'm not here for a casual visit. I've heard that another storm is brewing in the Three Realms—a fellow called the Demon Realm True Monarch has broken through to a higher realm and is likely to return to seize another share of the world's fortune. This time, will the heavens be able to hold their ground and completely crush him?"

Jiang Ziya's eyes flashed, and his brows furrowed slightly.

The Demon Lord? That name sounds familiar... but his background is still unknown, so it's best not to provoke him rashly. It's better to remain still for now.

Shen Gongbao added from the side, "This person is very troublesome. His cultivation may not be earth-shattering, but his physical body is indestructible and his soul is immortal. He can resurrect after death, and then die again, endlessly—if this continues, sooner or later one of the Three Realms will be devoured and chewed up by him."

Lin Daochen felt a chill run down his spine, his lips parted slightly, but he couldn't utter a single word.

"So this is the kind of person he is? Even Senior Jiang and Senior Shen are so wary of him... Could he truly be a vengeful and ruthless threat?"

Jiang Ziya and Shen Gongbao exchanged a glance, remained silent for a moment, and finally nodded in agreement:

"Since the lives of ordinary people are in danger, we cannot shirk our responsibilities. If the world truly falls into chaos, we two are willing to join forces to set up a nine-layered sky-locking barrier to trap him within it—at least, we can protect one more area of ​​the people and give them a chance to breathe."

Upon hearing this, the Celestial Immortal nodded slowly, his expression as solemn as iron.

Actually, I've been driven to a dead end. If Cheng Jian from the Demon Realm were to truly enter the Three Realms and unleash a bloody catastrophe, no one would escape unscathed. Therefore, I implore you two seniors to lend me a hand.

Before he could finish speaking, the Celestial Immortal glanced around and suddenly noticed Lin Daochen standing quietly to the side. His brows furrowed slightly, and he leaned closer to examine him more closely: "Young friend... why do you look so familiar? Could it be that I've met you somewhere before?"

Jiang Ziya's heart tightened, and he quickly waved his hand and shook his head: "You dare not say such things! You are a venerable immortal, how could you know this greenhorn? Rest assured, you are complete strangers and have no connection whatsoever."

The Celestial Immortal paused for a moment, then nodded, seemingly relieved—he had never been here before, so how could he have an old acquaintance? After saying this, he shook his head slightly, turned around, and left.

He completely forgot that just a few days earlier, his younger brother, the Immortal of Tianshan, had urgently summoned him, ordering him to find Lin Daochen and eliminate him personally.

Only after the figure completely disappeared into the distance did Jiang Ziya breathe a sigh of relief, and his shoulders relaxed.

"That was close! This old guy is too sharp-tongued. If he had hesitated any longer, he might have seen through our deception. If he had really revealed Lin Daochen's identity, the Ziwei Emperor would have arrived, and we wouldn't even be left with ashes."

Lin Daochen lowered his eyes and remained silent for a long time before finally raising his eyes and speaking: "Senior, please forgive me... I just heard you two mention the 'Ziwei Emperor,' is this person really so terrifying?"

"Foolish boy, he's more than just terrifying," Jiang Ziya said in a deep voice. "With just a flick of his finger, the entire world can vanish like smoke. It's not a matter of strength or weakness; before him, we so-called immortals are nothing more than dust in his palm—he is the god among gods."

Lin Daochen's throat tightened, and a chill ran down his spine.

If the Ziwei Emperor could make Jiang Ziya and Shen Gongbao change color and show such awe, then he must be an existence that crushes all living beings, so powerful that it chills one to the bone.

For the next year, Lin Daochen stayed here to cultivate in seclusion. He ate and lived with the two elders. Although the days were simple and monotonous, they were exceptionally fulfilling—his cultivation level rose day by day, his muscles and bones became more solid, and his mind became clearer.

This progress is hard-won and extremely valuable.

He was naturally willing to stay.

The two elders treated him kindly, and this place was full of spiritual energy and undisturbed, making his cultivation smooth. Why not? It was the best of both worlds.

On the day the year was up, Jiang Ziya and Shen Gongbao stood side by side, silent for a long time. Lin Daochen sat cross-legged on the blue stone, his brows calm, and golden patterns quietly rose around his body—not talismans, not seals, but true script formed from the origin of the Great Dao, flowing around his body like living things, humming softly.

What does this mean? It means that he has opened the door to the Great Dao and touched the most primordial power.

The two of them, having cultivated for ten thousand years, are still only hovering on the edge of the threshold, glimpsing only fragments in ancient scrolls and incomplete texts.

Unexpectedly, this young man had already entered this realm at the very beginning of his seclusion.

"I... my disciple," Jiang Ziya's voice was dry, "has he really only cultivated for a few hundred years? The more I look at it, the more it seems like a dream?"

He was speechless, unable to tell whether he was more shocked or envious. Shen Gongbao, on the other hand, looked even more unpleasant, his eyes churning with barely concealed turmoil.

But with the crisis looming, there is no time to hesitate.

"Enough, Senior Brother, stop thinking about these things." Shen Gongbao put away his usual playful expression, his tone unusually solemn. "Now that the Heavenly Water Immortal has left, given his mind, he will surely remember the clues within three days, and it's only a matter of time before he informs us. It's a foregone conclusion that the Heavenly Mountain Immortal will arrive here."

"Since Lin Daochen has already triggered a resonance with the Great Dao, and you and I happen to know a bit about the methods of controlling the Dao, we must help him stabilize his foundation and refine this power before the situation worsens—only in this way will he be qualified to confront those behemoths head-on. Senior brother, don't you think so?"

Shen Gongbao, who was usually carefree and witty, now had sharp eyebrows and an iron gaze. He always wore a comical exterior, but inside he was more clear-headed and more composed than anyone else.

Jiang Ziya nodded in agreement. He had already agreed to the matter, and since the decision was made, further words would be superfluous.

The most urgent task now is to completely resolve the matter of the Celestial Immortal.

"We must finish this cleanly and efficiently. If we leave even the slightest oversight, the consequences could be endless. Who knows what kind of storm might rage behind us?"

The most urgent task right now is to handle this matter properly as quickly as possible. Once Lin Daochen's cultivation level truly surpasses that of the Heavenly Water Immortal, then we can join forces with the Heavenly Mountain Immortal to launch a combined attack—this is the only foolproof way to survive.

The Purple Emperor? Don't even mention him. Ever since Pangu split the chaos, He has sat atop the starry sky, a veritable ancient monster.

Even if Lin Daochen cultivated diligently for 100,000 years, he probably wouldn't even be able to touch the hem of His robe.

"What are you two seniors still hesitating about? Is there some unresolved issue on your minds?"

Before he could finish speaking, Jiang Ziya opened his mouth in a loud voice, as clear as tearing silk.

"There's only one way out right now—we'll send you into the world within the painting immediately! There, you'll be hidden from view, and no one can see you. Only by hiding inside will you have a chance to breathe. Do you understand?"

"Once inside, you must hold your breath tightly, not letting even a wisp of it escape, or all your efforts will be in vain."

Before he could finish speaking, Jiang Ziya grabbed Lin Daochen and turned to head towards the world within the painting. Lin Daochen's heart sank: Was that person really that terrifying? Why was Jiang Ziya so on edge?

But then I saw the anxiety and protectiveness in the senior's eyes, and a warm feeling quietly welled up in my heart—someone is protecting me so desperately, why shouldn't I listen to what he says?

Upon reaching the waterfall, Jiang Ziya unfurled an ancient scroll and laid it on a bluestone, then gestured for Lin Daochen to leap into the water curtain.