Urban Immortal Lord

"Um?"

Just as Xia Tian was about to get on the bus, he noticed Zhang Banxian's hesitant expression and couldn't help but show a hint of doubt. He didn't know why this stinky Taoist priest had suddenly stopped him, but he still stopped in his tracks. He knew that this stinky Taoist priest must have something to ask him.

"Fellow Daoist, may I have a word with you in private?" Seeing that Xia Tian had stopped, Zhang Banxian's face lit up with joy. He made a Daoist curtsy and bowed to Xia Tian.

Seeing this, Xia Tian had already made up his mind. He knew that this stinky Taoist priest must have some unspeakable secret that he didn't want to tell outsiders, so he said goodbye to Lin Zhiyuan and asked him to leave first.

Afterwards, Xia Tian followed Zhang Banxian to a relatively secluded corner, a garden in a residential area where people usually relax and enjoy themselves. The two of them went one after the other to a bamboo grove, where there was no one around.

"You stinky Taoist priest, can you tell me now?" Xia Tian said calmly to Zhang Banxian. In fact, he was also curious about what secret Zhang Banxian had that made him so mysterious.

"Fellow Daoist, please don't be impatient. Let me explain in detail." Zhang Banxian's expression was somewhat solemn. The reason he addressed Xia Tian as a fellow Daoist was that, in his heart, he already regarded Xia Tian as a fellow Daoist, rather than a member of the martial arts world.

"My real name is Zhang Ziran. As you may have guessed, I am a descendant of the Longhu Mountain lineage," Zhang Ziran said with a touch of pride. However, seeing that Xia Tian remained unmoved, a sense of defeat arose within him.

Xia Tian then learned that the real name of this stinky Taoist priest Zhang Banxian was Zhang Ziran. As for the stinky Taoist priest's claim that he was a descendant of the Longhu Mountain lineage, Xia Tian had already vaguely guessed it before.

Xia Tian listened silently, waiting for Zhang Ziran to continue. He knew that this stinky Taoist priest wouldn't be so bored as to bring him to such a remote place just to introduce his real name and background.

"Fellow Daoist, to be honest, I have come to you today because I have a favor to ask." Zhang Ziran looked somber and sighed. He then said, "Several hundred years ago, our sect's founder, Zhang Tianshi, established the Daoist lineage on Longhu Mountain. Because of his profound Daoist skills, he slew demons and monsters in the mortal world, and Longhu Mountain flourished for a time, which is widely known to later generations."

"But what later generations didn't know was that our ancestor was already a Golden Core stage master, no exaggeration to call him a terrestrial immortal. In such a vast country as China, he could have established his sect anywhere, yet he chose Longhu Mountain!"

"Why is that?" Xia Tian asked curiously, intrigued by Zhang Ziran's recounting of the secrets of Longhu Mountain.

"According to the records of our ancestors, our ancestor Zhang Tianshi once encountered a peerless demon on the shores of the East China Sea while slaying demons and monsters in the world. Our ancestor fought with it for several months, luring it onto land. In the end, he paid a terrible price to seal this great demon beneath the ley lines of Longhu Mountain!"

"After that battle, my ancestor's foundation was damaged, and he could no longer hope to reach a higher realm. As his lifespan was about to end, he used powerful Taoist techniques to enhance his natal spirit sword and strengthen the seal."

At this point, Zhang Ziran showed a longing look, then a bitter expression appeared on his face. He said, "In the hundreds of years that followed, due to the passing of our ancestors, our sect suffered from a lack of successors. None of our disciples reached the Golden Core realm. As a result, the sealing power gradually loosened, and that peerless demon showed signs of breaking free from its seal."

"Our sect's ancestors naturally did not want to see this peerless demon break its seal and wreak havoc on the world. Therefore, all disciples who had reached the Foundation Establishment stage or above ventured beneath the earth's veins, sacrificing themselves to vanquish the demon!"

A hint of desolation appeared on Zhang Ziran's face as he said, "But unsurprisingly, all those ancestors who stepped into the earth's veins perished without exception. Thus, after hundreds of years, only I, the sole survivor, remain on Longhu Mountain."

"However, my talent is limited. After cultivating for decades, I have not even reached the first level of Qi Refining. I know that I have no ability to stop this peerless demon from being born!" Zhang Ziran said. "Fortunately, I later received some guidance from you, fellow Daoist, and only then did I touch the threshold of the first level of Qi Refining."

After listening to Zhang Ziran's account of the secrets of the Longhu Mountain lineage, Xia Tian also showed a heavy expression. If what this stinky Taoist said was true, then Xia Tian would definitely try to prevent this peerless demon from being born. Not to mention that the ancestors of the Longhu Mountain lineage paid an extremely heavy price to protect the peace of the mortal world, Xia Tian admired their selfless dedication to righteousness and their efforts to eliminate demons and protect the righteous path.

If this peerless demon were to break free from its seal, it would surely wreak havoc on the human world, and Xia Tian would never allow such a thing to happen.

Xia Tian pondered for a moment, then said in a deep voice, "You stinky Taoist, although I really want to help you with this, I'm afraid with my cultivation level, I'd just be offering my head for nothing."

Xia Tian was very self-aware. His current cultivation level was only at the sixth level of Qi Refining. However, the peerless demon sealed beneath the Longhu Mountain ley line was able to fight against Zhang Tianshi, who was at the Golden Core stage, for several months without being defeated. He estimated that the cultivation level of this peerless demon must also be at the Golden Core stage.

With Xia Tian's cultivation at the sixth level of Qi Refining, what else could it be but offering his head to a Golden Core stage demon?

"Fellow Daoist, you are too modest. I believe you, at such a young age, have already reached the Transcendent Realm. You must have a way to help me with this. Moreover, the sword spirit you summoned when you subdued that female ghost today was extraordinary, comparable even to our sect's most treasured Celestial Master Sword." Zhang Ziran said solemnly, then clasped his hands and said, "I hope you will consider the well-being of all people and help me with this!"

Poor Zhang Ziran had no idea that the sword spirit in Xia Tian's hand was far superior to the Celestial Master Sword. It was the immortal sword that the Hermit of Wangchuan once wielded. After fighting against the Yellow Spring Emperor, the Lord of the Underworld, for thousands of years, the immortal sword shattered, leaving only the damaged sword spirit!

"Moreover, after being sealed for hundreds of years, the strength of that peerless demon must have decreased. With the strength you have shown today, you will definitely be able to subdue this peerless demon," Zhang Banxian quickly added.

"You stinky Taoist, don't try to fool me. I know you're eager to exorcise the demon, but don't try to trick me. I estimate that the cultivation level of that peerless demon is definitely at the Golden Core stage, the same realm as your ancestor. Even if the sealing power has greatly reduced its strength, it's still far beyond what you and I can handle." Xia Tian naturally wouldn't be fooled by this stinky Taoist. Instead, he calmly analyzed, "I really want to help you, but not now. At least I have to wait until I have enough strength to protect myself. Besides, in this vast land of China, who knows how many old monsters are living in seclusion? I don't believe you, this stinky Taoist, can't find someone else to help you."

Xia Tian believed that on this magical land of China, there must be some ancient monsters with profound cultivation living in seclusion, but they just haven't been discovered by anyone.

"I know this, but you may not know, fellow Daoist. These reclusive elders are extremely difficult to find. I fear that before I can even find their traces, this peerless demon will have already broken free of its seal." Zhang Ziran sighed. He came from the Longhu Mountain lineage, and his ancestors' records contained some secrets of Chinese cultivators, such as the Kunlun Sacred Land and overseas immortal mountains... However, these sects all lived in seclusion, and their traces were extremely difficult to find!

"You stinky Taoist, tell me the truth, how long can the sealing power last?" Xia Tian felt that what this stinky Taoist said made sense. Thinking about it, those old monsters who lived in seclusion were all pursuing the secret of immortality. They had no time to care about worldly affairs.

"It could take ten years at most, or as little as three years," Zhang Ziran said after a pause, his expression grave.