Chapter 32

The ascetic monk glanced down the mountain, seeing the three people working together, the Three Talents Sword Formation shifting between upper, middle, and lower positions, left, center, and right, and sometimes spreading out in three places or circling to form an encirclement. The sword light flew and intertwined densely, continuously tightening. The tiger demon's staff had been cut into pieces by the sword light at some point, and the white light it emitted had diminished significantly. However, the tiger demon continued to roar, his face fierce and cruel, relying on sheer tenacity to charge left and right, not showing any signs of defeat for the moment.

The three disciples of the Mountain and Water Sword Sect seemed not to have expected the tiger demon's magical power to be so profound, allowing him to hold out under their sword formation. They became somewhat impatient and lost their coordination, occasionally allowing the tiger demon to spot a flaw in the sword formation, nearly breaking through it several times. It seemed that the stalemate would continue for a while!

The ascetic monk said, "Your disciples are indeed remarkable, and this Three Talents Sword Formation is very exquisite. Although the methods of Buddhism and Daoism differ, this poor monk finds it difficult to understand its essence. However, for your new generation of disciples to achieve such proficiency at such a young age, it must be due to the excellent guidance of their teachers and their own diligence!"

Wu Zhenggong's face lit up with a smile, saying, "Master is too modest. Although the methods of Buddhism and Daoism differ, with Master's cultivation, you must have already achieved the integration of all methods! Speaking of diligence, I must admit that these disciples are the laziest among our sect. I have to urge them daily, or they would just slack off. This time, at the command of the sect leader, I had to bring these unaccomplished disciples to the mortal world for training, which has been quite a burden for this old man. Sigh!"

Lu Zheng, hearing the old man's words, thought they sounded just like the fat monk Puguang at Qinglong Temple when he spoke to the elders, and couldn't help rolling his eyes.

The ascetic monk, seeing that the man was constantly praising himself, smiled slightly, neither exposing him nor being insincere. He was concerned about Lu Zheng's injuries and, as they were not far from the Sun and Moon Hut, decided to take his leave. However, Wu Zhenggong continued, "Speaking of the young generation of Daoists, heh, the disciples of the Mountain and Water Sword Sect are all unaccomplished, far inferior to that 'unworthy son.' What a pity! He has excellent talent but is a disgrace! Truly a shame to our Daoist sect."

When Lu Zheng heard him mention the 'unworthy son,' he shook his head and sighed, looking very distressed, but there was a clear hint of schadenfreude in his smile. The words "disgrace" almost burst out of his mouth, leaving Lu Zheng puzzled about what he was trying to say.

But hearing his words, the ascetic monk thought of someone and asked, "Mr. Wu, are you referring to the current disciple of the Cleansing Mystic Heaven, the head of the Xuan Sect? I have heard of him. This young man has extraordinary talent and high insight. It is said that he is not yet fifteen years old, and his Daoist cultivation has already reached a very high level, making him the most outstanding among the new generation of Daoists. Why is he called the 'unworthy son'?"

Wu Zhenggong sighed deeply, saying, "Master, with your noble virtue, you naturally haven't heard of this. It is indeed a disgrace to our Daoist sect. This young man's talent and insight are unparalleled, something I have never seen in my life. In just three years, he has learned all the Daoist methods of the two sects and eight schools of our Daoist sect, integrating all methods. In the entire Daoist world... oh, in the entire Daoist sect, there is no one else like him."

Before the ascetic monk could respond, Wu Zhenggong changed the subject, saying, "Of course, although I am ignorant, I have heard of a young genius in the Buddhist sect, named Thirty-Two Aspects, who is now being personally taught by the current Worldly Venerable Lotus at the Buddha Mountain. The name 'Thirty-Two Aspects' was given by the Worldly Venerable, praising him as 'possessing the thirty-two marks, a vessel for enlightenment.' Is this true?"

In the cultivation world, Buddhism and Daoism are the two major sources, each forming its own cultivation system. When Wu Zhenggong mentioned the Daoist sect, he was not just referring to the eleven sects of the Xuan Sect, the two sects, and the eight schools, but also to all the sects derived from these eleven sects, as well as some cultivation families or independent cultivators who practice Daoist methods. When he suddenly changed his words to say that the 'unworthy son's' talent was unparalleled in the entire Daoist sect, but not in the entire cultivation world, it was clearly out of respect for the ascetic monk, who was a Buddhist figure.

Because everyone in the cultivation world knew that, besides the 'unworthy son' of the Daoist sect, the Buddhist sect also had a young genius named Thirty-Two Aspects, who was also under fifteen years old, even half a year younger than the 'unworthy son.' He had already visited all ten temples of the Buddhist sect and deeply understood the Dharma, making him a contemporary outstanding figure in both the Buddhist and Daoist sects.

The ascetic monk, hearing him mention the Worldly Venerable's praise for Thirty-Two Aspects, could not be modest and had to admit, "The Worldly Venerable indeed said this."

Wu Zhenggong's spirits lifted, as if surprised by the ascetic monk's words, and he praised several times, then said, "The Buddhist sect has strict rules and laws. The Punishment Tower at Buddha Mountain is renowned, and the evil spirits and villains tremble at the mention of it. Therefore, the younger disciples, influenced by this, naturally behave appropriately and act with propriety, naturally producing such a genius. In contrast, our Daoist sect has been lax for a long time, with loose discipline. The successor of the Xuan Sect having such talent is a rare blessing and a great honor for our Daoist sect. Unfortunately... sigh! sigh! sigh!"

Lu Zheng, listening to the old man's convoluted words, was curious. The old man praised the 'unworthy son' for his talent while shaking his head and sighing, making Lu Zheng very curious about what the 'unworthy son' was all about. But Wu Zhenggong kept changing the subject, and his intention was clearly to chat more with the monk and get closer, but he still hadn't explained why the successor of the Xuan Sect was called the 'unworthy son.'

After several sighs, the ascetic monk didn't ask about the successor's character, and Wu Zhenggong, glancing at the monk, had to continue, "Unfortunately, this young man does not focus on his studies or cultivate any magical powers. He spends his days with some demons near the Three Mountains, drinking heavily and causing chaos, making the entire Immortal Capital Mountain a mess. On the day I brought my disciples down the mountain, I heard that he was even consorting with a beautiful fox demon, doing... sigh, it's not worth mentioning!"

Lu Zheng, hearing this clearly, understood the origin of the 'unworthy son' title. He thought this person was somewhat like his brother, and didn't find the old man's words particularly serious. The ascetic monk, as if he hadn't heard, recited a Buddhist chant, "Amitabha, Mr. Wu, I must be on my way. Farewell!" and was about to leave.

Wu Zhenggong was taken aback, reaching out to stop him, but at that moment, a furious roar came from the mountain below, containing a power that could shock the spirit. It was the tiger demon, who had just been careless and had his staff shattered by the sword light, realizing he had to fight to the death. Fortunately, the old man had suddenly left, so he took the opportunity to release his life essence, the Mystic Pearl.

As soon as the tiger demon released the Mystic Pearl, it emitted a continuous, soul-shaking roar, impacting the spirits of the three Mountain and Water Sword Sect disciples. They immediately felt a series of high-pitched roars echoing in their minds, causing dizziness, nausea, and a sense of separation between body and mind. One of them almost dropped his sword, and the three quickly swung their swords to protect themselves, using their powers to block the attack and retreating hastily.

The tiger's roar, by the time it reached the three, was already weak, but it still carried a spirit-shocking force. The ascetic monk was unaffected, but Wu Zhenggong's body wavered slightly, his brows furrowed, and a look of anger flashed in his eyes, as if his spirit had been impacted. Lu Zheng, however, felt nothing, as the ascetic monk, while talking to Wu Zhenggong, had been paying attention to the situation below and had already placed a hand on Lu Zheng's back, using his power to protect him from the roar.

Wu Zhenggong, after a slight waver, stood firm, the red smoke of the Suppressing Red Smoke swirling around him. His face changed, and he gritted his teeth, saying, "This damned tiger demon... Master, allow this old man to deal with this beast first." Without waiting for the ascetic monk's response, he leaped down the mountain like a mist.

The ascetic monk said, "Please do as you wish!" and was about to leave with Lu Zheng on his back. Suddenly, Lu Zheng asked, "Great Monk, is this old man a powerful figure in the Daoist sect?"

The ascetic monk replied, "Why do you ask this, young layman?"

Lu Zheng said, "I heard the Great Monk mention the eleven sects of the Daoist sect, but I haven't heard of the Mountain and Water Sword Sect. However, from this old man's words, he seems to be a significant figure in the Daoist sect!"

The ascetic monk smiled, understanding Lu Zheng's thoughts, and explained, "The Daoist sect is divided into one Xuan Sect, two sects, and eight schools, and there is no Mountain and Water Sword Sect. However, after Daoist disciples complete their studies, many establish their own sects, which are still considered part of the Daoist sect. The Mountain and Water Sword Sect was founded by disciples of the eleven sects of the Daoist sect. This is different from the Buddhist sect, where disciples are not allowed to establish their own sects."

The ascetic monk then explained in detail. In a general sense, the Daoist sect refers to the eleven sects, also known as 'one Xuan, two sects, eight schools.'

The 'one Xuan' refers to the Xuan Sect, the ancestral source of the Daoist sect. It is said to have been founded by the only direct disciple of the Daoist ancestor in the world. The Xuan Sect has a tradition of one master and one disciple, symbolizing that the Daoist ancestor only had one disciple in the world. The successive leaders of the Xuan Sect are also the leaders of the Daoist sect, known as the Forgetful Heaven, without exception.

The 'two sects' refer to the Heaven Sect and the Earth Sect, founded by the two guardian children of the second Forgetful Heaven of the Xuan Sect. Because the Xuan Sect has a tradition of one master and one disciple, the two guardian children are not considered direct disciples of the Xuan Sect. The Heaven Sect and the Earth Sect, founded by them, are not part of the Xuan Sect, but they naturally originate from the Xuan Sect.

The 'eight schools' refer to the Yin-Yang Eight Schools, founded by four disciples of the Heaven Sect, who established the True Yang Sect, Great Yin Sect, Wind Sect, and Thunder Sect; and four disciples of the Earth Sect, who established the Wuji Sect, Chongxu Sect, Mountain Sect, and Fire Sect. In the Daoist sect, Heaven is Yang and Earth is Yin, hence the name Yin-Yang Eight Schools.