"You must be Taoist Xiu Ji, Taoist Xiu Jing’s senior brother."
Gu Zhao looked toward the portly old Daoist sitting in the seat of honor.
Taoist Xiu Ji rose and bowed. "Greetings, Mr. Gu!"
The other four old Daoists also sensed the Daoist aura that Gu Zhao was intentionally releasing and rose to their feet in unison.
Things were different now. The Extraordinary had appeared in the world, and the old Daoists had revealed their powers in public on many occasions. They had also given out Golden Gang Bracelets and Celestial Spirit Talisman Vajra Profound Talismans, and all sorts of internal information was being passed around...
The Daoists on Blue Star who had cultivated Inner Breath True Qi were knowledgeable enough to understand what was happening. How could they not know they had obtained a massive amount of Spiritual Qi?
Then they considered how the environment had not changed, yet many of them had been disappearing one after another.
Even without the rumors spreading from the Daoists of Daluo Palace, they would have immediately thought of a Grotto Heaven Blessed Land.
By now, news of a new Grotto Heaven Master visiting various Taoist Temples to guide Daoists who had cultivated Inner Breath True Qi to his New Grotto Heaven had already spread like wildfire.
A few days ago, Taoist Xiu Ji had received a call from his junior brother, Taoist Xiu Jing. Xiu Jing had gone to cultivate on Ge Xuan Mountain and was then guided to the New Grotto Heaven. He told Xiu Ji to gather four other Daoists and said that the person coming for them was surnamed Gu.
Realizing it was finally his turn, the incredibly excited Taoist Xiu Ji immediately took action.
As expected of a large coastal province, Wu Province was prosperous and had many Daoists who had cultivated Inner Breath True Qi. Taoist Xiu Ji easily summoned four of his closest peers.
The black-haired, wrinkled-faced old Daoist: Taoist Long Qin of the Shangqing Sect, from Plum Blossom Ancient Temple.
The handsome, middle-aged Daoist: Taoist Hong Hai of the Qingwei Sect, also from Plum Blossom Ancient Temple.
The old Daoist with a cheerful smile: Taoist Zhi Hua of the Celestial Master’s Mansion, from Hu Mountain Temple.
The female Daoist with a kind face: Taoist Cheng Ping of the Spiritual Treasure Sect, from Yellow Immortal Palace.
And finally, himself: Taoist Xiu Ji of the Spiritual Treasure Sect, from Baopu Taoist Temple.
That made exactly five people.
"As expected of the Three Talisman Sects, your legacies are spread all across the south," Gu Zhao said with a smile.
The saying "Quanzhen in the north, Zhengyi in the south" was no empty phrase.
Although the Talismanic Three Mountains each only had three to five Daoists who had cultivated Inner Breath True Qi, they had members of all ages—old, middle-aged, and young—and countless branch legacies throughout the vast southern region.
Take these five, for example. Aside from Taoist Hong Hai of the Qingwei Sect, the other four all came from the orthodox lineages of the Three Talisman Sects. Together, they could easily establish an Ancestral Court.
And so, Gu Zhao sent out the five Thunder Seeds.
The cold early spring wind swept through the courtyard, sending ripples across the pond. A few koi swam in the water. Suddenly sensing something, they all gathered at the edge of the pavilion, rising to the surface to wag their heads and tails in its direction.
A young Daoist rushed to the moon gate of the courtyard. "Grandmaster, Grandmaster! President Huang is at the Taoist School to ask for a fortune slip. He wants to see you."
Then he saw his grandmaster and the four seniors his grandmaster had invited, all sitting in the pavilion with their eyes tightly shut. They looked as if they were asleep, or perhaps unconscious.
A young man was standing beside them.
"Who are you? What are you doing?" the young Daoist cried out, his face pale with shock. He thought Gu Zhao had done something to the old Daoists.
"Mmph—"
The young Daoist had been about to shout for help, but Gu Zhao sealed his vocal cords.
Gu Zhao looked at the young Daoist and couldn’t help but shake his head.
’His steps were unsteady, his face was pale, his Qi was deficient, and his body was weak. There were traces of Cultivation, but he clearly hadn’t put his heart into it. He had no hope of truly entering the Dao in this lifetime.’
Seeing Gu Zhao shake his head and realizing he couldn’t speak, the young Daoist was both startled and terrified. He turned to flee.
However, the moment he lifted his foot, he was frozen in place.
After that, only terror remained in his eyes.
The courtyard fell silent again, leaving only the gentle whisper of the wind and the swishing of koi tails in the pond.
A moment later, Gu Zhao glanced toward the entrance. Two men were walking in. The leader was a middle-aged man with an imposing air, and a younger man, likely an assistant, followed half a step behind him.
"Taoist Ze Yang? What’s wrong?" the middle-aged man asked in surprise.
The next moment, the young Daoist lurched forward and took a sudden, deep breath. "President Huang, I..."
Realizing he could speak again, the young Daoist whipped his head around. "There’s someone..."
Then he saw his grandmaster’s eyes snap open. One shone with golden light, the other with a silver gleam, as if they contained the sun and moon themselves. His entire body radiated a hazy white glow.
The young Daoist froze on the spot, utterly stunned.
The middle-aged man was also stunned, his eyes flaring with a sharp light as he stared at Taoist Xiu Ji.
As Taoist Xiu Ji opened his eyes, the other four old Daoists also awoke one by one from the profound shock of the Thunder Seeds.
Taoist Cheng Ping, also from the Spiritual Treasure Sect, emanated a tranquil and serene aura tinged with the faint scent of medicinal herbs.
The Five Qi circulated within Taoist Zhi Hua of the Celestial Master’s Mansion. Other than his gaze growing more profound, there were no outward changes.
Taoist Long Qin of the Shangqing Sect and Taoist Hong Hai of the Qingwei Sect had the most dramatic reaction. Purple light shot from their eyes, sparks appeared from thin air, and crackling, purple-gold arcs of electricity danced around their bodies.
’So, two more who practice Thunder Techniques,’ Gu Zhao figured.
"Blessed Infinite Celestial Venerable!"
The five old Daoists raised their palms in salute and chanted the holy name.
After receiving the Thunder Seeds, they had activated their Innate Qi to refine their meridians. Simultaneously, they had communicated with other Daoists through the seeds and quickly learned about the Otherworld.
It wasn’t a new Grotto Heaven Blessed Land, but an entirely different world!
Ghost Gods, Incense, Demons, Fiends...
Doing Good Deeds and Accumulating Virtue, Eradicating Evil and Accumulating Merit, accumulating Evil Qi, Ascension in the Daylight...
Quanzhen, Zhengyi, Sword Dao, Thunder Techniques, the Flowing Gold Fire Bell, the Taoist Divine Prison, the Northern Emperor Celestial Pig, Tai Chi Taiyi...
A completely new world had unfolded before them, reshaping their entire worldview. Myths and legends had become reality, causing the Dao Hearts they had cultivated for decades to pound uncontrollably, making it incredibly difficult to regain their composure.
This was why they had chanted the holy name the moment they awoke—it helped them calm their minds and compose themselves.
"Greetings, Sect Leader!" the five old Daoists bowed in unison.
"Please, rise." Gu Zhao made a lifting gesture, helping the five old Daoists to their feet.
The three people at the entrance remained stunned.
By now, no matter how slow they were, they knew they had witnessed the Extraordinary.
Taoist Xiu Ji’s gaze swept over them. He had only closed his eyes to perceive, not sealed his five senses, so he had heard everything that had just transpired.
Shaking his head, Taoist Xiu Ji expressed his disappointment in his grand-disciple. "Withdraw."
The young Daoist felt wronged and panicked, but he dared not object. He hastily bowed in acknowledgement and beat a swift retreat.
"Xiu Ji Master..." The middle-aged man took a step forward.
"President Huang." Taoist Xiu Ji nodded. "It is fate that you came today. I cannot help with your career fortune, but I can help you sort out the condition of your body."
...
A moment later, the middle-aged man watched the group of six rise into the air and vanish over the horizon, a sense of loss welling up in his heart.