Chapter 94

"Here we are."

More than twenty luxury cars, with a total value exceeding seventy million, slowly pulled over at the foot of Dalong Mountain, drawing the astonished gazes of the locals who were used to grand scenes.

A middle-aged man, who appeared to be in his forties, stepped out from the rear seat of a leading BMW 760. He had a head of jet-black long hair, a slender build, and was only 1.6 meters tall, yet his face was chiseled with sharp features, making him exceptionally handsome.

He exuded an elegant, calm, and transcendent aura, and just by standing there, he drew the attention of most people, like a pearl shining in the darkness.

This man was named Zhuge Qianyun, with the Dharma name Qianji, the current patriarch of Xuankong Cave in Nanyun Province, Daoist Master Qianji.

After Zhuge Qianyun got out of the car, two middle-aged men, who appeared to be in their fifties, also stepped out from the rear and front passenger seats of the BMW 760. They wore blue and yellow Eight Trigram robes, which contrasted sharply with Zhuge Qianyun's black formal attire.

The man in the blue robe, who had stepped out from the front passenger seat, moved to Zhuge Qianyun's back, bowed slightly, and then whispered, "Patriarch, it's said that Yang Chen is no ordinary person. We should be cautious."

"Fear what?" The man in the yellow robe, who had stepped out from the other side of the rear seat, snorted coldly and said in a loud voice, "No matter how powerful he is, he's just a greenhorn. Once we go up the mountain, I'll challenge him first and see where this little demon learned his heretical methods."

Zhuge Qianyun remained unperturbed. After giving a brief glance at the two elders of Xuankong Cave, he said softly, "Let's go up the mountain."

"Yes," the two elders of Xuankong Cave responded and followed Zhuge Qianyun up the mountain.

The various cultivators from the Central China metaphysical community, who had gotten out of the other cars, followed Zhuge Qianyun and his companions, quietly discussing what might happen next.

The first issue of the Lingwu Journal caused a huge stir in the Chinese metaphysical community, leading to widespread condemnation, mainly because the content of the three academic papers conflicted sharply with the doctrines that had been passed down for thousands of years in the metaphysical community.

It was like a scientist who had spent a lifetime in academic research suddenly being told that he had been wrong all along. This was unacceptable both on a spiritual level and, more simply, in terms of face.

In fact, most of the cultivators who had come to Jinzhou City today had already tried to replicate the experiments described in the journal.

They had all clearly felt the existence of energy particles, but so what? The theory of the Five Elements and Qi had been passed down for thousands of years, and they had all based their cultivation on this theory.

Even if energy particles did exist, so what? Why must the magical theory of the Five Elements be denied, and the sacred and ethereal path of cultivation be linked to harsh and realistic data?

There were three main reasons why they had come here to confront Yang Chen.

First, the first issue of the Lingwu Journal only attacked the theory of the Five Elements based on the discovery of energy particles, but it did not prove that energy particles were the same as Qi, or that they were a special reaction after the gathering and dispersing of Qi. In other words, the Five Elements might be the essence of energy particles.

Second, the academic papers directly refuted the idea of ordinary people cultivating to become immortals, stating that immortals did not exist and that eternal life was just a beautiful fantasy. However, the legends of cultivators ascending to immortality had been passed down for thousands of years and were a significant driving force for the development of metaphysics. It was impossible to say that they did not exist just because someone said so.

Third, it was purely an emotional reason.

Elder Qingyun of Xuankong Cave, a fifth-stage initial Daoist cultivator, had gone into a mental breakdown and ended up paralyzed after reading the Lingwu Journal. As fellow Daoist cultivators, they naturally felt a sense of shared sorrow.

Having cultivated for a lifetime, their firm belief in traditional doctrines made them instinctively doubt the true purpose of the Lingwu Journal, making the correctness of energy particles less important.

Dozens of people marched up the mountain in a grand procession.

Halfway up, Zhuge Qianyun, who was leading the group, suddenly changed his expression and stopped in his tracks.

The two elders of Xuankong Cave, who were following closely behind, also stopped instinctively. The elder in the blue robe asked in a low voice, "Patriarch, why have you stopped?"

Zhuge Qianyun frowned, his eyes fixed on a green bamboo grove ahead.

Before he could speak, Yang Chen's light laughter came from the bamboo grove, "Is this Daoist Master Qianji of Xuankong Cave and his companions? I have been waiting for you all for a long time."

"Hmph, playing tricks," Yang Chen's voice had just sounded when the elder in the yellow robe snorted coldly.

Just as he was about to step forward, Zhuge Qianyun held him back and said softly, "Don't be impulsive. There's something strange about that bamboo grove. Be careful not to fall into his trap."

After saying this, Zhuge Qianyun took a small step forward, bowed to the bamboo grove, and said loudly, "Daoist Yang, I believe you know the purpose of our visit. Why don't you show yourself and we can talk?"

"What's the point of hiding in the forest and playing tricks?" someone from the back shouted. "If you dare to openly spread those heretical ideas, you should have the courage to come out and explain yourself face to face."

On the winding mountain path of Dalong Mountain, dozens of people looked up at the bamboo grove, waiting for Yang Chen's response.

Zhuge Qianyun had assumed that Yang Chen would not dare to show himself, believing that he must have set a trap in the bamboo grove.

However, to his slight surprise, Yang Chen walked out of the bamboo grove with empty hands, a smile on his face, and a calm and peaceful demeanor.

Zhuge Qianyun, who had seen countless people in his life, was a leading figure in the metaphysical community of Nanyun Province and a vice president of the Chinese Metaphysical Promotion Association, a man of high status and extraordinary cultivation.

But this was the first time he had seen a genius of Yang Chen's caliber at such a young age.

When he first heard of Yang Chen's name and the buzz it had caused in the metaphysical community, Zhuge Qianyun had not believed that such a prodigious cultivator could exist.

Only now, seeing him in person, did he have to admit that Yang Chen had some real skills.

But that was all.

Zhuge Qianyun did not think that with his own mid-sixth-stage cultivation, he would be unable to handle a young man in his early twenties.

"Are you Yang Chen?" After a dozen seconds of careful observation, Zhuge Qianyun asked coolly.

"Yes," Yang Chen nodded.

"Did you found the Lingwu Journal?" Zhuge Qianyun continued.

"Yes," Yang Chen nodded again.

"Do you know where you went wrong?" Zhuge Qianyun asked finally.

"Where did I go wrong?" Yang Chen laughed lightly and shook his head. "Just because your second elder, Qingyun, had a weak mind and made a mistake in cultivation, you can blame me? If that's the case, there's no need to explain anything. You can go back where you came from. I don't have time to entertain a bunch of unreasonable barbarians."

"Boy, what are you saying?" Zhuge Qianyun remained calm, but the elder in the yellow robe's face darkened, and he shouted, "A little skill and you think you're invincible. Let me see what you're made of."

Before he finished speaking, the elder in the yellow robe had already walked several meters forward.

This time, Zhuge Qianyun did not stop him but kept his hand behind his back, watching Yang Chen's reaction calmly.

Rumors had it that Yang Chen, at a young age, had already achieved at least mid-fifth-stage cultivation.

But no matter how Zhuge Qianyun observed, he found that Yang Chen was only at the late-fourth-stage level.

The elder in the yellow robe, who had a slightly more irritable temper, was the head elder of the Elder Hall of Xuankong Cave, with mid-fifth-stage cultivation, ranking among the top hundred true experts in the country.

Let's see what this boy can do, Zhuge Qianyun thought.

"Golden Court shines a thousand miles, immortals line the sides. The first of the Five Peaks, the command of Mount Tai, makes gods and ghosts bow." The elder in the yellow robe made a hand seal, his eyes wide with anger, and a powerful energy wave burst from his body, conjuring a golden dragon-entwined Mount Tai Order.

The order, about eight feet high and three and a half feet wide, emitted a scorching heat as soon as it appeared.

One of the cultivators watching from the mountain path exclaimed, "This is one of the three great Daoist techniques of Xuankong Cave, the Mount Tai Order. It's truly impressive, a real eye-opener."

"Legend has it that the Mount Tai Order was created by the first patriarch of Xuankong Cave, Meng Ran, to suppress evil. The command of Mount Tai makes gods and ghosts bow, with a hundred-foot golden light and a thousand-mile red wall. It's truly awe-inspiring and formidable."

"This Qingyi is indeed the head elder of the Elder Hall of Xuankong Cave. His cultivation is about to reach the late-fifth-stage level, and he is hailed as the most promising talent to break through to the sixth stage within ten years, second only to Daoist Master Qianji."

"Xuankong Cave has a seven-hundred-year history and a deep foundation. With Qingyi's strength, even ordinary late-fifth-stage cultivators are no match for him. The Mount Tai Order is truly impressive—what's happening?"

Just as Qingyi, with his eyes wide and a god-like aura, was being praised by the cultivators on the mountain path, a strange scene unfolded.

Yang Chen, dressed casually, faced the scorching Mount Tai Order as if it were nothing, and took a small step forward.

The formidable Mount Tai Order, which seemed invincible, shattered into pieces and instantly collapsed.

This scene caused a stir among the onlookers.

Even Zhang Bingyu, who was hiding behind a rock, covered her mouth in shock.

The Mount Tai Order collapsed on its own. Zhuge Qianyun instinctively took a large step forward.

He had lived for over eighty years and had never seen such a situation.

Qingyi was also completely stunned.

Yang Chen, with his hands behind his back, asked mockingly, "Is this the legendary Mount Tai Order that slays gods and demons?"

"You—" Qingyi's face turned a dark red, and he pointed at Yang Chen, unable to speak.

At this moment, Zhuge Qianyun's pupils suddenly constricted. The usually calm man exclaimed, "Three Flowers Gather at the Crown, the state of Great Perfection—how is this possible?" To be continued.