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

"Brother Lin, it's better to join forces and plan something big than to fight each other with swords." He spoke casually, but the smile on his lips was like a thin mist, making it impossible to see through him.

Lin Daochen remained unmoved, only saying calmly, "Tianlangzi, your words are quite interesting. Since you sincerely wish to befriend me, then stay—the more I look at your treasure bottle, the more mysterious it seems."

Tianlangzi felt a surge of warmth in his heart, his throat tightened slightly, but he remained composed on the surface: "Brother Lin is too kind. It's just an ordinary object." As he spoke, he nodded to Lin Daochen, but his eyes clearly revealed his satisfaction.

Lin Daochen nodded in agreement and kept the person by his side. He knew perfectly well that the Divine City was a treacherous place, and having an eloquent and courageous helper was more reassuring than having ten more spiritual artifacts.

"With your eloquence, you'd be in high demand anywhere." He glanced at Tianlangzi, his tone calm but containing a hint of genuine approval.

Suddenly, a silvery-white blur tore through the air—the Lightning Leopard appeared abruptly, carrying a jade belt in its mouth, and gently placed it at Lin Daochen's feet. Lin Daochen was startled, bent down to pick it up, and as soon as his fingertips touched the belt, he felt a slight tremor creep up his fingertips.

The belt was unremarkable in appearance, with fine stitches and a warm luster. But the moment Lin Daochen's divine sense probed into it, a faint yet resilient spiritual energy quietly rippled out, like an ancient well that had been dormant for many years slowly spreading ripples.

"This belt... its origin is suspicious." He felt a chill run down his spine, and his divine sense, like silk threads, gently wrapped around it, trying to discern its origin.

Tianlangzi's gaze was fixed on him, and when he saw his brows furrow slightly, he immediately perked up.

"Brother Lin, this item is likely the work of a senior craftsman, and is by no means an ordinary piece. For you, it might just be an unexpected opportunity." He lowered his voice, drawing out the last syllable with a meaningful tone.

Lin Daochen's heart stirred slightly, and he immediately leaped onto the Flying Cloud Leopard, with Tianlangzi following closely behind. The two swept past broken walls and ruins, heading straight for a secluded dwelling on the edge of the divine city. Lin Daochen fastened his belt around his waist and immediately felt his aura solidify, as if a gentle breeze was blowing around him.

"Thanks for the reminder, Sirius." He nodded with a smile. "This belt is indeed quite intriguing."

Tianlangzi watched his departing figure, his eyes flickering with emotion. This young man, so young yet so decisive in killing, both stirred his heart and sent a chill down his spine.

As Lin Daochen's consciousness sank deep into the belt, a vast space suddenly unfolded before him—boundless and silent as an abyss. A slight smile appeared on his lips, and a look of certainty rose in his eyes: from now on, he would no longer need to be restrained in storing pills, talismans, and weapons.

Having just broken free from the shackles of the Liu family patriarch, Lin Daochen was about to leave the city when he suddenly saw a figure arrive through the air—Nangong Piaomiao landed steadily beside him, her eyes burning with sincere admiration.

"Brother Lin's battle has truly astonished the entire Divine City! The Liu family patriarch was slain by your hand. Who dares to disobey such strength?" He laughed loudly, cupping his hands in greeting, without any pretense.

Lin Daochen returned the greeting with clasped hands: "Brother Nangong Piaomiao is too kind. This battle is also the beginning of my transformation."

Nangong Piaomiao's gaze shifted, landing on the turquoise belt, a glint of light flashing in her eyes: "This belt...is there something special about it?"

Lin Daochen nodded frankly: "It is indeed remarkable. It contains a strange spiritual energy, warm but not fierce, still but not stagnant, as if... it has been deliberately sealed away for many years."

Lin Daochen nodded in agreement, his heart warming slightly—this belt seemed to possess a dormant spirit, and perhaps he could really stumble upon a serendipitous encounter.

Just as he was about to bow and take his leave, Nangong Piaomiao invited him with a smile, leading him into the Nangong family palace. Lin Daochen's heart stirred slightly, sensing that the smile was genuine and sincere, revealing a frank and honest attitude, so he replied loudly, "Alright! Then I'll accompany Brother Nangong."

The group traversed the streets and headed straight for the palace. People along the way stopped, craning their necks to look up, their eyes filled with awe and reverence. The palace of the Nangong family soared into the clouds, its eaves sharp as blades, its glazed tiles reflecting the sun, its imposing presence so overwhelming it made one's breath catch in their throat.

As they stepped through the Vermilion Bird Gate, a strong aura of precious energy rushed towards them, as if the entire palace was immersed in a spiritual spring, and even the air seemed to glow. Inside the hall, many members of the Nangong clan had already gathered. The elders, with their robes trailing to the ground and their eyes blazing, were watching Lin Daochen intently, each casting a burning gaze upon him—a gaze filled with curiosity, admiration, and an undisguised sense of awe.

Nangong Piaomiao personally led the way, showing him around the clan's important grounds: magical artifacts hung from the ceiling, their light shimmering and their humming like dragons' roars; ancient formations were embedded in the ground, their winding patterns seeming to breathe slowly like living things. Everywhere, one could see the Nangong family's millennia-long accumulation of knowledge, so profound that one dared not speak lightly.

"Brother Lin Daochen, would you be willing to join my Nangong clan?" Nangong Piaomiao stood on the jade steps, her voice not loud, but every word firm. "The clan's secret treasures, alchemy cauldrons, weapon furnaces, and classic texts are all open to you."

Lin Daochen smiled slightly: "Brother Nangong's kindness is deeply appreciated. Let me think about this matter carefully. There are still a few unresolved matters that need to be sorted out first."

Nangong Piaomiao nodded, his expression calm, and did not insist. But a sharp glint flashed in his eyes, like an iron chain anchoring against the wind and waves, clearly indicating that he already regarded Lin Daochen as someone he could have.

Stepping into the depths of the palace, a vast blue sea suddenly unfolds before your eyes—the water surges, egrets soar through the sky, and the salty wind, carrying spiritual energy, brushes against your face, making it impossible to distinguish whether it is an illusion or the real world.

Two young Daoist disciples emerged from the mist, their features clear and bright, their eyes sparkling like a galaxy. Lin Daochen thought to himself: With such intelligence and talent, they will surely break through the threshold of Heavenly Sensing within ten years and directly knock on the door of the Great Dao.

"The Nangong family's wealth is indeed unfathomable," he sighed inwardly, as he followed the others toward the celestial island floating above the sea of ​​clouds in the center.

Suddenly, Tianlangzi's joking voice rang out. He winked at Lin Daochen while teasing Nangong Piaomiao, his words laced with wit and ridicule. Nangong Piaomiao's brows furrowed slightly, and her lips tightened, clearly exasperated by this nonchalant attitude.

"Brother Tianlangzi, this is not a martial arts arena. Please tone down your playful manner." Nangong Piaomiao's tone was gentle, yet carried an undeniable weight.

Tianlangzi tilted his head, blinked, and uttered another witty remark that was neither vulgar nor innocent, causing several young disciples behind him to stifle their laughter. Lin Daochen remained unmoved, but smiled inwardly—this man's fists could split mountains, and his mouth could amuse ghosts, yet his unserious nature made him more unforgettable than many pretentious masters.

Two young Taoist disciples led the way, and clouds gathered and dispersed beneath their feet. Lin Daochen glanced out of the corner of his eye and suddenly saw a large blue-scaled shrimp gliding leisurely across the water. Its body shimmered with a faint blue light, and its swimming posture was peculiar, seemingly slow but actually swift. It was as if every sway of its tail caused the surrounding airflow to tremble slightly.

Further in, a verdant landscape unfolds before you—lingzhi mushrooms stand like umbrellas, wisteria cascades like waterfalls, exotic herbs exhale mist, and strange trees emit smoke. The pool water is as clear as a mirror, and an elderly man with white hair sits quietly by the pool, his fishing rod pointing diagonally into the air, but the fishing line does not enter the water.

Nangong Piaomiao stepped forward quickly and bowed respectfully: "Greetings, Elder Sea God."

The old man didn't lift his eyelids, but only nodded slightly. His voice was like a reef at low tide, deep and enduring: "Piaomiao, a new guest has arrived."

Nangong Piaomiao stepped aside and introduced, "This is Lin Daochen. He personally killed the Liu family patriarch during the battle of Shencheng."

Elder Poseidon finally raised his eyes, his gaze as calm and undisturbed as the tide washing over a reef, yet a faint ripple appeared deep within his pupils the instant it touched Lin Daochen's face. "Young friend... there's a familiar scent about you."

Lin Daochen's heart skipped a beat—the gentleness and aloofness in those eyes were exactly the same as that of the young man in blue in the Divine City.

Just then, the shrimp rose from the water again and slowly swam around the pool. Lin Daochen curled his fingertips slightly and quietly extended a wisp of his divine sense, but it vanished without a trace, like a clay ox sinking into the sea.

Nangong Piaomiao noticed the direction of his gaze and explained in a low voice, "That is Elder Sea God's companion spirit pet. Its entire body is made of green marrow, and it has already cultivated a three-inch spirit soul."

Deep within a hidden underground palace of the Nangong family, Lin Lei was tightly bound by the Immortal Binding Rope, his limbs and veins sealed, and even a silencing talisman was tied around his throat. He bit down hard on the hemp rope in his mouth, his gums bleeding, but he did not loosen his grip.

The dark figure approached with a whip, its tip whistling through the air as it lashed his back, tearing flesh and splattering blood like rain. His back arched like a taut bow, veins bulging on his forehead, yet he remained silent.

Those eyes were dark and gleaming, like two clusters of burning coals—he knew that if he let out even the slightest groan of pain, he would be placing his lifeline right on the other's blade.

The shadowy figure sneered, flicked his wrist, and the long whip whipped up a storm of wind and thunder, unleashing another round of frenzied lashes. Flesh rolled and blood crisscrossed the wounds, but Lin Lei still stood tall, his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed all the muffled sounds, etching that stubbornness into every inch of his taut bones.

Looks like you're pretty tough.

The mysterious man's lips curled into a mocking smile. Before he could finish speaking, the whip lashed out like a venomous snake, its force heavier and more vicious than before, as if to break Lin Lei's spine inch by inch, crushing his last bit of stubbornness.

Lin Lei clenched his teeth, blood seeping from the corner of his mouth, but he suppressed the muffled groan in his throat. The excruciating pain of his torn skin was piercing and bone-deep, but what burned even more was the unyielding spirit in his heart—every whip mark was his testimony of not bowing his head, every bruise was a mark of his not admitting defeat.

On the other side, Lin Daochen followed the Nangong family and walked slowly through the depths of the mansion, finally stopping in front of a Lingshan Pavilion. The pavilion was hidden among the clouds and mist, and was surrounded by century-old Lingzhi mushrooms, cold marrow grass, and jade soul vines. The spiritual energy was like mist and gauze, condensed and not dissipated. Taking a breath made one feel refreshed, as if stepping into a hidden paradise.

Lin Daochen stood on the pavilion steps, his fingertips slightly raised, feeling the spiritual energy flowing through his palm like a stream. Cultivating here, one day is equivalent to three ordinary days; it is truly a rare treasure land.

But his brows didn't unfurl; instead, they furrowed even more. On the surface, all was calm, but beneath lay a turbulent undercurrent—he knew better than anyone that the more peaceful the facade, the easier it was to conceal the sharpest blade.

Nangong Piaomiao approached quietly, her voice extremely low: "The situation is unstable right now. On the surface, we have the upper hand, but if the patriarchs of the nine major families break through their seclusion, the world will turn upside down in an instant."

Lin Daochen merely responded with a faint reply, offering no further comment. The ancestor's pursuit? He had long since forgotten about it. His most pressing task was to decipher the mysteries within the fragments of the divine diagram, extract more resources, and push his cultivation to the next level.

Nangong Piaomiao suddenly bowed, her tone solemn: "I have a favor to ask."

Lin Daochen glanced sideways: "Speak."

"Please enter the secret realm of Hengshan."

Lin Daochen paused: "Hengshan?"

Nangong Piaomiao nodded: "The Holy Domain has undergone changes, and the nine major families have decided that the younger generation will be sent to explore its secrets first. There lies an opportunity that can shake up the entire landscape—it is also our only way to break free from our shackles."

"Training?" Lin Daochen narrowed his eyes. "I'm afraid it's more than just training."