Chapter 117: Chapter 108: Zongsheng Palace, Lu Shan Sect Disciple!
Translator: 549690339
Ignoring the astonished expression of the highway toll collector, Xu Yang said, “Alright, Shishi, let’s go.”
Liu Shishi skillfully shifted gears and stepped on the throttle, the car speeding away.
The highway toll collector’s eyes almost popped out of his head!
Holy shit!
A manual transmission?
And the gear stick moved on its own?!
Is there such a thing as a self-driving car?
Did he just see a ghost in broad daylight?
Meanwhile, Liu Shishi, under Xu Yang’s persuasion, finally showed herself. She grumbled, “I still think driving invisible is more exciting…”
She seemed somewhat excited.
She found a DJ song, turned up the volume, and danced as she chatted with Yang Yin, Yue Yuluo, and Yun Mengxi.
The speed of the car was raised to 140, and as the scenery on both sides of the road sped by, Xu Yang’s legs went soft, telling Liu Shishi to focus on driving.
Don’t you trust my driving skills?
Liu Shishi shot Xu Yang a glance, looking fully confident with the steering wheel in her hand.
Xu Yang shook his head.
But he could see it now… Liu Shishi loved driving.
Every time she took hold of the steering wheel, she would smile like a child.
Oh well, just let her do it. As long as she is happy, that’s what matters.
Xu Yang sighed, quietly applying several more Diamond Talismans to his body. With the Diamond Talismans protecting him, even if there was a car accident, he should be unharmed, right?
The distance from Wu City to An City is about 700 kilometers on the highway.
Halfway through the journey, besides stopping at a service area for gas, Liu Shishi didn’t pause at all. She raced all the way, taking less than six hours to get off the highway.
This was Xu Yang’s first time in Changan City, and he was completely unfamiliar with the roads here. He turned on the GPS, re-positioning their destination to the Zongsheng Palace, the venue for this Daoist conference.
It turned out that the Zongsheng Palace wasn’t in Changan City itself, but rather in Zhouzhi County, which was under the jurisdiction of Changan City.
Zhouzhi County has a long history, tracing back to the time of Emperor Yao and Shun, and is the ancient Luoguo during that era. At that time, it was part of the ancient Yongzhou in the Da Xia Dynasty, called Haoguo during the Shang Dynasty, and served as an internal secretary during the Zhou and Qin periods, when its land belonged to the capital region. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty established Zhouzhi County, which still retains its name until today.
As for the Zongsheng Palace, it is located in the Louguan Temple Scenic Area of Zhouzhi County.
This Louguan Temple is extraordinary!
Situated at the foot of the northern Zhongnan Mountains, it is about 20 kilometers southeast of Zhouzhi County. This place is the birthplace of Daoism in Da Xia and is the world’s most famous Taoist sanctuary, known as “The First Blessed Land Under Heaven”!
Besides the Zongsheng Palace, there are also landmarks such as the Upper Shan Pool, Bai Zhu Forest, Sutra Platform, Dan Furnace, Liizu Cave, Skyward Pool, Qizhen Pavilion, Huanii Spring, ancient towers, Laozi’s tomb, Meeting Spirits Pavilion, Yuzhen View, and Yuhua View.
As Xu Yang and the others approached Louguan Temple, the faces of Liu Shishi,
Yang Yin, and Yue Yuluo, the three ghost women in the car, began to turn serious.
Liu Shishi stopped the car by the side of the highway about one kilometer away from Louguan Temple. She solemnly said, “No, Xu Yang… There are too many sacred Daoist places here, and the temples and statues inside have gone through a thousand or even thousands of years, forming immense power… It’s impenetrable to evil forces. We can’t go in!”
That’s right. I feel like if I get any closer, I might just explode!
Yue Yuluo agreed.
Even Yun Mengxi, the zombie, said, “This place isn’t suitable for us malevolent beings… Let’s turn back and go to Zhouzhi County. We can stay there.”
Xu Yang had no choice but to instruct Liu Shishi to turn back.
Fortunately, this place was less than 20 kilometers from Zhouzhi County. It didn’t take long for the car to enter the county town. But soon, Xu Yang encountered another problem.
Every hotel and guesthouse in Zhouzhi County was fully booked!
On the streets, there were people performing acrobatics, smashing stones with their chests, and showing off magic tricks. It felt as if they had traveled back in time to ancient days.
It seems this Daoist conference has attracted a lot of martial artists,” Xu Yang thought to himself.
He noticed that the man smashing stones with his chest was a true martial artist, with abundant qi, and his horizontal training was very strong.
Even the performers of the magic tricks were extraordinary folks. They tore a roll of toilet paper into strips, crumpled it in their hands, and mumbled something under their breath. Then, they threw the paper up into the air, and when the flakes of paper fell, they turned into snowflakes.
After much difficulty, they finally found a guesthouse with subpar living conditions and a surprisingly high price.
It cost 800 yuan to stay for one night, and there was only one room left.
There was an additional 50-dollar fee to park the car for one day.
After checking in, Xu Yang entered the room and found that there was only one big bed. He frowned and said, “There’s only one bed. How are the five of us supposed to sleep?”
A man from the guesthouse glanced at the four women beside Xu Yang and gave him a “you-know-what-I-mean” look. He said, “Sir, I apologize… Our Zhouzhi County has been swamped with tourists these past few days. Please squeeze together and be patient.”
Liu Shishi and the others didn’t mind.
After all, ghosts don’t need to sleep.
Yun Mengxi didn’t mind either. She liked sleeping, but in a stone coffin. The coffin was stored in Xu Yang’s storage space and could be placed casually in a corner of the room.
With the stone coffin arranged, Xu Yang instructed, “I’ll go to the Zongsheng Palace first. You stay in the room… If you want to go out and stroll the streets, make sure to conceal your energy… There are so many extraordinary people in Zhouzhi County right now. It’s best to be low-key.”
He left the guesthouse and headed out.
At the front door, he bumped into an old man.
The old man was in his sixties, with graying hair, wearing large sunglasses, floral shorts, and a slightly hunched figure. His appearance closely resembled the “Turtle Hermit” from a comic.
Behind the old man was a young girl.
She was dragging a big suitcase and carrying a small leather case in her hand, complaining and cursing her grandpa for not helping her with the luggage.
The old man just smiled and said, “I’m old… You young people are strong and robust, so there’s no harm in carrying more belongings.”
With that, his gaze swept over Xu Yang, his expression slightly changed, and he took off his sunglasses, saying, “Young man, may I have a word with you, please?”
What’s up?”
Xu Yang recognized this old man as the one who had performed magic tricks by making snow appear on a hot summer day in the street.
The old man said, “If I’m not mistaken, young man, you have cultivation… Are you here to participate in the Daoist skills competition as well? But there’s something unclean about you!”
Xu Yang couldn’t help but laugh.
I spend every day with three ghosts, and just yesterday, a zombie girl joined our household. It would be strange if I were clean!
Thank you for the reminder, sir. I understand.
Leaving a word, he walked out of the door and hailed a taxi heading to Zongsheng Palace.
The old man shook his head and sighed.
After entering the inn’s gate, he suddenly froze, then stared fiercely at the room Xu Yang had just opened. His eyes showed a momentary, strange light, revealing that the room was filled with a cloud of yin energy with a dense, malignant aura. His face turned pale, and he turned to leave.
Grandpa… Where are you going again?
We finally found an inn with available rooms…
The old man strode away without looking back, saying, “We cannot stay here, even if we have to sleep on the street.”
Meanwhile, Xu Yang.
He took a taxi and quickly arrived at Louguan Temple.
Near the “Da Xia Dragon Vein” Qinling, it is located at the foot of Mount Zhongnan, with beautiful scenery, numerous Daoist palaces, and ancient relics.
As Xu Yang stepped forward to admire the surrounding scenery, he felt a moment of bliss and tranquility in his heart.
Sir, I’m sorry, but we won’t be receiving any tourists at Louguan Temple for the next few days.”
Xu Yang was stopped by a staff member at the ticket booth.
The staff member had slightly stronger energy than ordinary people, probably having practiced some martial arts and likely arranged by Zongsheng Palace.
Xu Yang smiled, “I’m not a tourist, I’m here to participate in the Daoist skills competition.”
Oh?”
The staff member asked, “Please provide the mobile number and ID number you filled in during the registration.”
Xu Yang provided his ID number and mobile number, and the staff member took out a tablet to check. His face showing a strange expression, he asked, “Are you the Northwest Hammer King?”
What Northwest Hammer King?
Xu Yang briefly froze, then realized it was the “nickname” he had filled in during registration. Immediately, he nodded and said, “Yes, I am the Northwest Hammer King.”
Sir…”
The staff member smiled wryly, “This is a Daoist skills competition. Martial artists cannot participate.”
Xu Yang: “…
Did the nickname ‘Northwest Hammer King’ really make him sound like a martial artist?
With his guidance, the staff member finally noticed the words “Jingming Sect, “Eighth Layer of Qi Refining,” and “Proficient in Fire Method” in Xu Yang’s registration information.
You are a cultivator from the Jingming Sect?
Even more surprised, the staff member examined Xu Yang from head to toe, saying, “It’s been five sessions of the Da Xia Daoist skills competition held every three years…This is the first time a cultivator from Jingming Sect has participated.”
He printed out Xu Yang’s “registration form,” saying, “Sir, please present this form at Zongsheng Palace. They will receive you there and inform you of the subsequent competition schedule and process.”
Xu Yang took the registration form and arrived at Zongsheng Palace.
The over 2,600-year-old ancient Daoist temple was bustling today. Inside the temple, cultivators from various sects gathered, including Dragon Tiger Mountain, Maoshan Sect, Lu Shan Sect, and some smaller sects as well as “freelancers” who practiced family arts.
They were almost all wearing Daoist robes, dressed in a “professional” manner.
Xu Yang looked around and found that the temple courtyard was filled with cultivators of the Qi Refining Realm. It seemed that the competition for entering the Dao Realm was not held together with the Qi Refining Realm.
Oh?”
A young Daoist approached Xu Yang and smiled, “Dao friend, are you here to participate in the Daoist skills competition too? I am Chen Long, a disciple of Lu Shan Sect.”
When Xu Yang heard the words “Lu Shan Sect,” his expression turned cold, and he indifferently said, “Xu Yang, the inheritor of Jingming Sect!”
The smile on the young Daoist’s face froze.
In the courtyard, the other Daoists looked over, especially the disciples of Lu Shan Sect, who immediately squeezed through the crowd and approached Xu Yang.
You’re from Jingming Sect?
A middle-aged Daoist raised his eyebrows, looked coldly at Xu Yang, and said, “You guys from Jingming Sect are really daring, coming to participate in the Daoist skills competition without our Lu Shan Sect’s approval.”
Whose disciple are you?
Where do you practice? Didn’t your master warn you of the rules?
The other Lu Shan Sect disciples also chimed in, while the other sect cultivators watched with amusement.
The “Daoist dispute” between Lu Shan Sect and Jingming Sect twenty years ago was well known to all the major Daoist schools. After their defeat, Jingming Sect declined rapidly. Nowadays, the few cultivators who still insist on being part of Jingming Sect are often oppressed by Lu Shan Sect.
In the past four Daoist skills competitions, not a single Jingming Sect cultivator dared to participate, which speaks volumes about the problem.
At this moment, Xu Yang’s heart was filled with a burning, nameless anger.
Regardless of his personal feelings for Jingming Sect… his grandfather was once the sect leader of Jingming Sect… and it was under his leadership that the sect lost the so-called “Daoist dispute!”
He sneered and looked past the disciples of Lu Shan Sect, saying lightly, “I am a disciple of Supreme Sage Qjngxu, Master Xu Zhiyuan… I have never heard of such rules.”
What?
Do I need your Lu Shan Sect’s dogs’ permission to participate in the Daoist skills competition?”
PS: Chapter 107 has been released, guys. We’re still more than 100 votes short of 1,000 votes. Today’s updates will still start with three chapters and 10,000 words, so please vote!