Chapter 33

The so-called orthodox Daoist sects refer to these eleven sects. These eleven sects usually handle their own sect affairs without interfering with each other, but the Xuan Sect is the source of all sects, residing in the three mountains of Qingdu, Xuandu, and Xiandu, known as the Three Mountains of the Daoist Sea. Its status is transcendent, leading all Daoist sects, and the head of the Xuan Sect is the leader of the Daoist world.

Afterward, disciples of these eleven sects established their own sects; some passed on their teachings to family members, forming cultivation families, and even became wandering cultivators who traveled the world, taking on disciples. The number of such people is countless, and their origins all belong to the Daoist sects, but they are not counted among the eleven Daoist sects. They can only be considered part of the broader Daoist community.

The Shanshui Sword Sect, where Wu Zhenggong is from, is certainly not among these eleven Daoist sects. The Shanshui Sword Sect is located on Mengtong Mountain, and its founding ancestor was a disciple of the Mountain Sect, one of the eight Yin-Yang sects from several hundred years ago. Therefore, strictly speaking, the Shanshui Sword Sect is only part of the broader Daoist community, as it practices the Daoist techniques passed down from the Daoist sects.

In the cultivation world, sects like the Shanshui Sword Sect all consider themselves Daoist sects. However, this has two main meanings: first, they practice Daoist techniques, which are the path to immortality, primarily to distinguish themselves from Buddhist practitioners; second, they acknowledge their lineage and remember their source, which is a sign of respect for their teachers and the Daoist tradition.

Wu Zhenggong, as an elder of the Shanshui Sword Sect, calling himself a Daoist in front of a Buddhist monk was not wrong, as it is a long-standing habit in the cultivation world. However, his repeated statements about "the Daoist sects being lax and the rules being lax" subtly placed himself in a very high position, as if he were a significant figure in the Daoist world. In reality, even the head of the Shanshui Sword Sect is not considered a true Daoist figure, let alone Wu Zhenggong himself.

Wu Zhenggong's way of speaking was not just a matter of being overly proud. In the Buddhist world, this would be considered a violation of the precept against lying. According to the practices of the ascetic monk, he should not only avoid such lies but also not listen to them. Therefore, when Wu Zhenggong rambled on in front of him, the ascetic monk immediately turned and left without giving him any face.

Throughout the conversation, the ascetic monk did not say a single word to belittle Wu Zhenggong. He only truthfully introduced the situation of the Daoist sects to Lu Zheng. When they disagreed, he simply turned and left without saying a word about Wu Zhenggong. But Lu Zheng understood that the old man was not a significant figure at all, but his words were like a toad yawning—quite presumptuous.

Lu Zheng then asked, "Great Monk, the Riyue Cottage, does it belong to the Daoist sects or the Buddhist sects?"

The ascetic monk replied, "From what you heard earlier, the Riyue Cottage that I am taking you to does not belong to the Daoist sects or the Buddhist sects. This cottage has been by the fence for many years. It is said that the cottage was built not long after the fence was planted!

The two scholars living in the cottage are named Yue Zhongping and Li Yi. Their cultivation is profound and they are respected elders in the cultivation world! When you meet them, you can call them Mr. Yue and Mr. Li. These two scholars usually do not like to interact with the cultivation world, nor do they like to be too close to the secular world, so they chose to live by the fence at the foot of the Two-Boundary Mountain. Mr. Yue is an expert in medicine, and I believe he can cure your poisoning."

Lu Zheng nodded and said, "Oh, they are so powerful! No wonder that old man Wu's eyes lit up when he heard that you knew the people in the Riyue Cottage. At first, I thought he was a big figure in the Daoist world!"

The ascetic monk asked, "Why don't you like Mr. Wu?"

Lu Zheng replied, "I hate people like him! He likes to boast and talk behind others' backs, as if he is something special. Isn't that annoying? People usually stay far away from such people!"

Lu Zheng's personality is gentle and he is usually quiet, but he is not without his own opinions. He rarely speaks to others except for Tang Xiaojiu, so he often keeps his thoughts to himself. Now, he considers the ascetic monk like family, so he speaks more directly. Otherwise, he would never speak ill of others.

The ascetic monk asked, "Why do people usually stay far away from such people?"

Lu Zheng replied, "According to my Ninth Brother, such people are like a bad ointment and a big trouble! Ninth Brother said that these people have no skills in doing good but are full of tricks in doing bad. They have one face in front of people and another behind their backs, and they can say anything. They may smile, but they can secretly harm others, so people are naturally afraid of them."

The ascetic monk was taken aback by Lu Zheng's worldly-wise words. After some thought, he realized that these words matched the reputation of the elder of the Shanshui Sword Sect. He suddenly felt something was wrong and said, "Little layman, hold on tight." He then turned and jumped down the mountain with Lu Zheng on his back.

Lu Zheng, caught off guard, was shocked by the ascetic monk's sudden decision to jump off the high cliff. He screamed and tightly grabbed the monk's shoulders. The ascetic monk's descent was very fast but smooth, and before Lu Zheng could feel afraid, the monk had already landed softly.

Only then did Lu Zheng realize that the ascetic monk had shouted for him to hold on tight, which he hadn't heard clearly at the time.

The ascetic monk jumped from a great height and landed so lightly that not even a speck of dust was disturbed. It wasn't until the monk started walking that Lu Zheng realized they were already on the ground. Earlier, Wu Zhenggong had jumped up to the Two-Boundary Mountain with a graceful and elegant posture, but when he landed, he had cracked a rock. The difference in skill was obvious.

Lu Zheng looked up at the cliff they had just jumped from. The old man Wu Zhenggong had climbed up from there, and the cliff seemed even higher from below. He couldn't believe he had been on top of it just moments ago, and his heart raced in fear, his legs trembling.

Speaking of the tiger demon, it had just released its life essence black pearl and activated the tiger roar power within it, attacking the several disciples of the Shanshui Sword Sect. The disciples, whose cultivation was insufficient, were shaken by the tiger roar, their internal energy scattered and their spirits disturbed. Their organs twisted in pain, and they retreated.

The tiger demon seized the opportunity, immediately收回了黑丹，确定了一个方向便飞奔而去。它知道必须在那老头回来之前逃走，否则今天这条命肯定要交代在这里了，所以它竭尽全力逃跑。不过，它刚才被剑阵困了许久，元气消耗也不小，尤其是那根棍状法器被剑阵合力发动的剑光绞碎，法器受损，它也受了不小的伤，元气运转十分滞涩。在这种情况下再消耗法力维持变化出来的人形就有些勉强了，于是在跑了几步之后，只见它就地一扑，化为一只白虎，继续奋力向前奔跑。

白虎没跑多远，就听见身后一声呵斥：“孽畜，哪里跑！”那白虎奔跑中回头一看，好家伙，一道青色剑气，迅疾无比地向它飞斩而来。后面不远处，刚才离开的那个老头周身一道红色烟气缭绕，正以一种奇妙的身法神行追逐而来，正迅速接近它。

白虎赶紧往一边扑出，躲开了那道剑气，剑气劈中了它身边的一棵小树，顿时将那小树劈成了碎片。那白虎看了一眼，一边狂奔，一边喊道：“老头，你的剑气不纯，还没修到家！身上披着红缎子，这是要娶老婆去吗，你这老不羞！”

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The tiger demon, having just released its life essence black pearl and activated the tiger roar power within it, attacked the several disciples of the Shanshui Sword Sect. The disciples, whose cultivation was insufficient, were shaken by the tiger roar, their internal energy scattered and their spirits disturbed. Their organs twisted in pain, and they retreated.

The tiger demon seized the opportunity, immediately收回了黑丹，确定了一个方向便飞奔而去。它知道必须在那老头回来之前逃走，否则今天这条命肯定要交代在这里了，所以它竭尽全力逃跑。不过，它刚才被剑阵困了许久，元气消耗也不小，尤其是那根棍状法器被剑阵合力发动的剑光绞碎，法器受损，它也受了不小的伤，元气运转十分滞涩。在这种情况下再消耗法力维持变化出来的人形就有些勉强了，于是在跑了几步之后，只见它就地一扑，化为一只白虎，继续奋力向前奔跑。

白虎没跑多远，就听见身后一声呵斥：“孽畜，哪里跑！”那白虎奔跑中回头一看，好家伙，一道青色剑气，迅疾无比地向它飞斩而来。后面不远处，刚才离开的那个老头周身一道红色烟气缭绕，正以一种奇妙的身法神行追逐而来，正迅速接近它。

白虎赶紧往一边扑出，躲开了那道剑气，剑气劈中了它身边的一棵小树，顿时将那小树劈成了碎片。那白虎看了一眼，一边狂奔，一边喊道：“老头，你的剑气不纯，还没修到家！身上披着红缎子，这是要娶老婆去吗，你这老不羞！”

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The tiger demon, having just released its life essence black pearl and activated the tiger roar power within it, attacked the several disciples of the Shanshui Sword Sect. The disciples, whose cultivation was insufficient, were shaken by the tiger roar, their internal energy scattered and their spirits disturbed. Their organs twisted in pain, and they retreated.

The tiger demon seized the opportunity, immediately withdrew the black pearl, determined a direction, and fled. It knew it had to escape before the old man returned, or it would surely lose its life today. So it ran with all its might. However, it had been trapped in the sword array for a long time, and its energy was greatly depleted. Especially, the staff-shaped magical tool was shattered by the combined sword light of the array, causing it significant injury and making its energy flow sluggish. In this state, maintaining the human form by consuming more magical power was quite difficult, so after a few steps, it transformed into a white tiger and continued to run with all its strength.

The white tiger hadn't run far when it heard a shout behind it: "Foul beast, where are you running!" The white tiger looked back while running and saw a swift green sword qi flying towards it. Not far behind, the old man, surrounded by a red mist, was chasing it with a peculiar movement, rapidly closing the distance.

The white tiger quickly dodged to the side, avoiding the sword qi, which split a small tree next to it into pieces. The white tiger glanced back and, while running, shouted, "Old man, your sword qi is impure, you haven't mastered it yet! Wearing a red silk robe, are you going to get married? You shameless old man!"