CHAPTER 438: CHAPTER 380: THE ULTIMATE YIN MOUNTAIN TECHNIQUE, TWO SCROLLS BESTOWED UPON QI

Holy Might Forest.

Heavenly Master’s Dojo.

The center of the dojo was eerily empty, with only the eight Ghost Kings standing silently, as if eternal and unchanging.

Tianhe stood before an enormous dharma altar.

An Eight Immortals table was covered with black and white talisman banners, offering human blood, ghost tears, and demon bones. Incense smoke rose skyward as green ghostly spirit incense.

Wisps of incense smoke curled upwards and landed on the ghost pattern talisman atop the altar.

Before the altar stood a tall black jar, sealed with talisman papers, about the height of a man.

Tianhe formed a hand gesture, muttering under his breath.

Countless streams of black smoke surged from all directions, pouring into the black jar.

After a long moment, the black jar cracked open with a loud "crack!" A pungent sandalwood fragrance wafted into the air, as a pitch-black arm thrust outward, tearing apart the jar. Emerging from inside was a man with charcoal-blackened skin.

It was none other than Chuu Yuying.

"Greetings, Demon Lord!"

Chuu Yuying’s voice was hoarse, his gaze cold and inscrutable, carrying an unnerving unfamiliarity.

He was no longer the former Commandery Officer, but a Tribulation Crossing Ghost King forged by Tianhe through Yin Mountain’s supreme methods.

Ghost Kings were similar to Ghost Soldiers or Taoist Soldiers, both under the control of their caster, their life or death decided in an instant.

The advantage of Ghost Kings was their potential for growth; the downside, like Taoist Soldiers, was a lack of spiritual wisdom, requiring command to function effectively in combat. Left to their own devices, they could easily turn into mindless punching bags when faced with a clever adversary.

But these were minor concerns.

Tianhe had eight Primordial Spirit Ghost Kings and one Tribulation Crossing Ghost King.

That was more than enough. Even if they lacked agility, he could simply bombard any smart enemy with countless spells until they were dead.

After refining the Ghost King, Tianhe lapsed into deep thought.

Currently, his high-end combat power was nearly depleted.

"Holy Might’s Two Mansions and Seven Forests, Donghua’s Four Prefectures and Six Forests..."

Tianhe muttered to himself.

The Two Mansions referred to the Five States Society Mansion and Jiuquan Han Ye Prefecture.

The former was a core institution of the Taoist School, while the latter simply guarded a fountain spring, their Taoist Realm not even at the Tribulation Crossing Stage.

In essence, Tianhe only reliably possessed the two mansions.

Meanwhile, over on Donghua’s side, their number of Tribulation Crossing cultivators and Purple Mansion practitioners completely surpassed his.

As time passed, this gap would only widen.

Should Zhonghuang Zi break through to Primordial Spirit, his side would be vastly outclassed.

"He must die!"

A flicker of killing intent shone in Tianhe’s eyes.

At that moment, one of his subordinates came to report.

"Report! Song Lin has left his residence, headed toward the Spirit Treasure Sect!"

Tianhe bolted upright.

An idea struck him immediately.

Now was the perfect time to kill Song Lin!

The opportunity could not be missed—it was now or never!

With that thought in mind, Tianhe vanished without a trace.

The true backbone of the Donghua Alliance was Song Lin—not Zhi Xin or Zhonghuang Zi as he had previously believed.

Though the latter two possessed extraordinary cultivation, neither was Donghua’s foundation.

Song Lin was the most dangerous of them all. As long as Song Lin was eliminated, all obstacles would crumble before him.

The Donghua Alliance would collapse into disarray.

The Yin Spring Palace faction led by Zhonghuang Zi would no longer be able to subjugate the remaining Donghua disciples. The legitimate disciples of the Donghua Sect included no formidable figures capable of presiding over the entire situation, and the later-comers would naturally refuse to follow orders.

By then, he could divide and conquer.

The crux of it all lay in Song Lin.

...

Spirit Treasure Dao Sect.

Song Lin’s Sun Jade Carriage sped swiftly, arriving at the Spirit Treasure Sect’s headquarters in less than an hour.

Under the guidance of Yun Xiao, Song Lin traversed the Nine-layered World, heading into the heart of the Spirit Treasure Dao Sect.

At this moment, the Spirit Treasure Heavenly Master was walking on water, golden fish swimming in circles beneath him.

His steps resonated with a rhythm of the Dao, the motion of the fish faintly forming a mysterious diagram.

A Taoist Alliance Heavenly Master truly lived up to the title; every gesture emanated the Great Dao.

If one could closely comprehend it, there was even a chance to grasp a profound magic skill.

Song Lin immediately perceived this walk as an ancient footwork technique.

However, what held even greater allure for him was the golden Mystical Sect Gate hovering behind the Spirit Treasure Heavenly Master.

The Mystical Sect Gate floated in midair and followed the Spirit Treasure Heavenly Master wherever he went.

Occasionally, the gate would emanate a few ancient, mystifying characters.

At the sight of these characters, Song Lin couldn’t help but compare them to his own Cloud Seal.

In terms of raw power, these ancient characters surpassed his Cloud Seal considerably. However, in terms of essence, the twenty-eight ancient characters fell short compared to the Cloud Seal.

The Cloud Seal was categorized into systems of twelve, twenty-four, and thirty-six.

Each layer stronger than the last.

When cultivated to its pinnacle, it might even rival the twenty-eight ancient characters.

Aside from the Spirit Treasure Heavenly Master, the dojo was filled with observers studying his footwork and the twenty-eight ancient characters.

Among them, Song Lin recognized two acquaintances: Xuan Hee and Ling Xun, whom he had met during a previous conference, where the Spirit Treasure Heavenly Master had designated Xuan Hee as the main liaison.

Seeing everyone deeply immersed in their practice, Song Lin refrained from disturbing them and focused his own attention on Heaven and Earth Xuan Sect Gate, the Taoist Alliance’s supreme treasure.

Gradually, it seemed as though he, too, was entering a state of meditation.

Talismans, ancient characters, celestial scripts, and Cloud Seals continually evolved.

Intertwined, each contained elements of the other.

Song Lin felt as though he were transforming into an ancient Human Clan sage. Back then, there was no concept of written language; the sages would observe the celestial phenomena and transform the Great Dao into abstract symbols to record them.

These symbols embodied the power to connect directly with the Great Dao.

This was the essence of the Cloud Seal—the most primitive form of writing.

Song Lin’s mind delved deeper, and he seemed to fully incarnate as a sage crafting letters. His mastery over the application of written symbols reached new heights.

Just as Song Lin intended to go further, the connection abruptly broke.

His eyes snapped open, and he found the Spirit Treasure Heavenly Master smiling warmly at him.

"What insights have you gained?"

The Spirit Treasure Heavenly Master asked with a radiant smile.

"The Heavenly Master’s way reflects the Heavens and Earth. My own talent is far too lacking to comprehend."

Song Lin mused to himself, realizing once more the greatness of these worldly masters who could also achieve enlightenment of the Great Dao.

With the Spirit Treasure Heavenly Master’s current cultivation, if he entered the Muu Emperor’s realm, he would likely dominate the Four Divine Cardinal Directions with ease.

"Come frequently in the future. I permit you to approach and meditate upon the Mystical Sect Gate."

The Spirit Treasure Heavenly Master declared generously with a grand sweep of his hand, inviting Song Lin with magnanimity.

Once the Mystical Sect Gate’s meditation session ended, the other ten or so individuals expressed their gratitude one by one.

The Spirit Treasure Heavenly Master retained everyone, setting up a feast by the Spiritual Spring to entertain them. Song Lin had arrived just in time and was also invited to join the gathering.

As everyone chatted about Daoist principles, Song Lin remained silent, his mind preoccupied.

Noticing this, the Spirit Treasure Heavenly Master inquired:

"Donghua, is something on your mind? This is a time for joyous feasting—don’t let your worries spoil the occasion."

"The Heavenly Master speaks rightly. Indeed, I do have a matter troubling me."

Song Lin abandoned any pretension and straightforwardly revealed what was on his mind.

"I already possess the qualifications for the Great Master Talisman, and my cultivation has reached the Tribulation Crossing Stage, yet I have not received the Three Cave Five Thunder Talisman."

"Oh? Holy Might hasn’t granted you the talisman?"

The Spirit Treasure Heavenly Master asked.

"The Holy Might Heavenly Master has always disliked me, as I’m sure the esteemed seniors here are aware."

"What do you wish to do then? Shall I grant the talisman to you myself?"

The Green Dragon Taoist chimed in.

As a minister of the Taoist Alliance, he possessed the authority to bestow talismans upon Song Lin.

"I humbly request the Spirit Treasure Heavenly Master to bestow upon me the Great Master Talisman and the Three Cave Five Thunder Talisman!"

Song Lin ignored the Green Dragon Taoist’s offer and instead rose to bow before the Spirit Treasure Heavenly Master.

Though receiving the talisman from the Green Dragon would suffice, it carried less weight.

Song Lin needed the kind of prestige that befitted a Heavenly Master.

The title of Shadow Heavenly Master meant nothing if it lacked proper acknowledgment.

If the Spirit Treasure Heavenly Master sought his aid in contending for the throne, then some investments would have to be made to earn his loyalty.

Such directness naturally aroused disapproval among the crowd. Many considered Song Lin overly arrogant, while the more ill-tempered mocked him outright.

"Such bold demands!"

"Expecting the Spirit Treasure Heavenly Master to grant you a talisman? How delusional!"