Chapter 2: The Pathogenesis of "Phlegm" (Part 2)

  Hailong gazed at the mist rising between the mountains, hoping that Lingyuzi would return soon, so he could also know if Zhang Hua had arrived home safely. Having seen Lingtongzi and others display their Taoist magic several times, he had already developed a considerable interest in this mysterious art.

  The clouds and fog surged more and more, the immortal array was about to officially start. Under the blowing of the cold air on the mountain top, the dragon couldn't help but shiver with a chill. The blue light retracted, Ling Tongzi's expression became extremely solemn, his hands constantly changing shapes, saying in a low voice: "Two younger martial brothers, Ling Yuzi is rushing back quickly, let's meet him. Heaven and earth are boundless, the universe borrows the law, the great way is accomplished, the road returns to the path." The green air wrapped around his body fluttered out, and in an instant, it rose with his body as the center. With the completion of the spell, a green light flashed, and Ling Tongzi's polar light flying sword was unsheathed.

  Lingzhi Zi and Ling Yanzi each performed their own techniques, simultaneously pouring their powers into the Extreme Light Sword in front of them. Under the urging of Ling Tongzi, the Extreme Light Sword emitted a brilliant light, disappearing instantly into the clouds and fog. What they had to do was to light up a guiding lamp for their junior brother in the most basic restrictive spell of this immortal formation - the bewildering mist.

  Time passed minute by minute and second by second. Due to the excessive use of Tao Fa, the three brothers Ling Tongzi's bodies were all trembling slightly, apparently already nearing their limits.

  Suddenly, the sea dragon was surprised to find that the cloud and mist outside the cliff in front of him were violently stirred up, rotating like a whirlpool. In the center of the whirlpool, a tunnel with a diameter of only one meter appeared. Two rays of light flashed in at an unrecognizable speed, lightly falling on the top of the peak. The sea dragon looked closely and suddenly felt delighted, it was indeed the flying swords of Ling Yu Zi and Ling Tong Zi that had returned together.

  Ling Yu's face was somewhat pale, and he was panting continuously. Ling Tongzi and the other two hurriedly surrounded him, but the first to speak up was Hai Long, "Eleventh Shifu, did you send Dou Ya back home?"

  Ling Yu Zi nodded and said, "It was to send him to his doorstep that I almost didn't make it back. Thank you, Sixth Brother, Eighth Brother, Ninth Brother." Ling Tong Zi shook his head helplessly and said, "You! After so many years of cultivation, your impulsive habit still hasn't changed. Fortunately, you returned in time; if the second layer of the heavenly array's seal had been activated, we wouldn't have been able to do anything either. Let's go, let's return to the mountain. Hai Long, come, I'll take you." As soon as he finished speaking, four flying swords had already pierced through the outer cloud mist with a blue glow, heading towards the depths of Lianyun Mountain range.

  For the second time, Hailong felt the thrill of riding on clouds and mist. He had adapted to some extent, but the air in the mountains was too cold. With only a single layer of clothing, how could he withstand it? As soon as he flew over a mountain peak, he was already shivering all over, his lips turning slightly purple. Fortunately, Lingtongzi discovered this in time and protected him with his own true energy; otherwise, Hailong would have probably frozen into an ice ball before even reaching Daoming Zhenren's Moyun Peak.

  Feeling the warmth of energy transmitted from Lingtongzi's body, a strange feeling suddenly rose in Hailong's heart. Although he was flying in mid-air, his heart was filled with a sense of security at this moment. Unconsciously, under the thick law enforcement of Lingtongzi, he slowly entered the dreamland.

  "Sixth junior brother, you're back." A young man in his early twenties appeared before the four Ling Tongzi, wearing a moon-white long gown that covered his tall and straight body. His handsome face had a faint smile on it. Upon seeing him, the four Ling Tongzi hastily paid their respects, "Second senior brother."

  "Alright, we're all brothers from the same sect, what's with so much courtesy? By the way, you guys don't know yet, do you? Yesterday Eldest Brother has gone into seclusion. If he succeeds in breaking through to the Transcendence Realm this time, then from now on we'll have to address him as Master Uncle! I really envy him!"

  He was called Second Master by the four Ling Tongzi. The young man was actually Ling Zhizhi, who despite appearing very youthful, had already lived for over 150 years, only able to maintain his youthful appearance due to having passed through the Taicheng realm. Among the eleven disciples under Dao Ming Zhenren, his cultivation level was second only to that of the Eldest Disciple, Ling Xiuzi. Ling Zhizhi never kept a low profile and would often share new insights on the Dao with his fellow disciples, becoming an unnamed mentor to these ordinary disciples. The respect his fellow disciples had for him even surpassed that which they held for the Eldest Master Brother, Ling Xiuzi.

  "Sixth junior brother, your harvest this time is not bad! The child you're holding must be the new disciple you've brought back. It's been twenty years, and this is the first time, let me take a look." With a wave of his right hand, as if something was wrapped around it, Haichuan's body floated gently into Lingzhi's hands. A blue light flashed on his hands, and Lingzhi used his own magic to continuously examine Haichuan's body.

  After a while, Ling Zhizi returned the Sea Dragon to Ling Tongzi's hands, furrowed his brow and said: "This child must have suffered a lot since childhood, there are many impurities in his body, and his willpower is also very weak. If he wants to cultivate Taoist techniques, it will be more difficult. Sixth Master Brother, it seems that your vision is not too good!"

  Ling Yu's son hastily said, "Having poor qualifications is no big deal, as long as we have this fifth generation disciple, our miscellaneous chores will be taken care of from now on." He was always straightforward and inadvertently revealed his true thoughts.

  After hearing Ling Yu Zi's words, Ling Zhi Zi's face changed instantly and he scolded: "Nonsense!" A strange pressure suddenly emerged, and in an instant, before the eyes of the four people including Ling Tong Zi, this second senior brother was so majestic. Having interacted for decades, it was still their first time seeing Ling Zhi Zi get so angry, they were all scared into lowering their heads.

  Ling Zhīzi's piercing gaze stared at the four junior brothers, his voice low and serious: "As cultivators, you should know how important it is to cultivate your state of mind. Since you've taken this child as a disciple, you must do your best to teach him well. If Master had treated you with the same attitude when he took you in, would you have achieved what you have today? He may be a fifth-generation disciple and menial chores are important for his training, but you shouldn't think of him as just a servant in your hearts." Ling Zhīzi's expression softened slightly as he continued: "Ling Tōngzi, from now on, the task of teaching this child basic Daoist principles falls to you. If you can't help him reach the level of Fú Hǔ within ten years, don't come looking for me, your Second Senior Brother." With that, Ling Zhīzi's figure flashed with a faint blue light as he rode his flying sword into the distance, leaving behind the four stunned junior brothers on Mount Móyún.

  Ling Yuzi stuck out his tongue and said, "I didn't expect Second Master to have such a terrifying temper. It seems that he still values Hai Long very much, this kid is really lucky! The Pei Yuan Dan refined by Second Master is the best for someone like him who has just entered the path of cultivation."

  Ling Tongzi let out a light sigh and said, "It seems we were indeed wrong. Second Master's words are correct, cultivating one's heart nature is of utmost importance. Previously, I was truly too selfish."

  The dragon looked at his clean clothes with a bit of awkwardness, all the dirt on his body had been washed away, and his skin kept sending waves of coolness. He couldn't help but feel refreshed when he thought about the feeling in the clear pool water earlier. In his heart, he secretly thought that these masters were actually quite good to him, it's just that without his old tattered clothes, it felt a bit awkward. However, those fruits they ate earlier were all unfamiliar to him, and tasted incredibly good, hopefully when he meets the master, he won't fart and make a fool of himself.

  The clean and tidy Haichuan seemed to have transformed into a different person, although his small eyes looked a bit awkward, but he could be considered a handsome young boy. Wearing that slightly oversized Taoist robe, he looked like a little Taoist apprentice, with a hint of comicality. Ling Tongzi said: "Haichuan, when you meet your master later, be careful what you say, your master dislikes impolite disciples the most."

  Hailong smiled and said: "Sixth Master, don't worry, I'm the smartest person in the village. Isn't it just a matter of politeness? I can still pretend to be one."

  Ling Tongzi tapped on the head of the Sea Dragon with a hint of annoyance, saying: "You little brat, respect for your elders should come from the heart, how can it be just a pretence? Your master's cultivation is profound, and he can see whether you truly respect him or not at a glance."

  Hai Long suddenly froze, rubbing the spot on his head where Ling Tong had struck him, a hint of desolation in his eyes.

  Ling Tongzi was startled and thought to himself, "I didn't use much force, did I accidentally break him?" He hastily asked, "Hailong, what's wrong with you?"

  Hailong's sudden change in expression was not because Lingtongzi had annoyed him, but rather his actions just now were like when he used to knock on Zhanghao's door, making him recall the good times they spent together. He shook his head and said: "Sixth Master, I'm fine. I just thought of Douyae."

  Ling Tongzi smiled and said, "You're really sentimental. Alright, don't think too much about it. We've arrived." As he spoke, Ling Tongzi and the others had already brought Hailong to the front of Moyun Cave Mansion at the top of Moyun Peak. This was exactly where Dao Ming True Person cultivated.

  Standing respectfully outside the cave, the four Ling Tongzi infused their spiritual power into their voices, "Disciples Ling Tongzi (Ling Zhi Zi, Ling Yan Zi, Ling Yu Zi) have completed the task of going to Di Ling Mountain to collect disciples and have come to report back to our master."

  "Well, bring the child in then." A somewhat worn-out voice came from within the cave.

  Ling Tongzi and the four of them hastily responded with a sound, taking Hailong to walk into the cave mansion. As soon as they entered the cave mansion, what first caught Hailong's eye was a large piece of flowers and grass. Those colorful small flowers were constantly emitting a faint fragrance that refreshed one's mind and spirit, instantly lifting Hailong's spirits. Among them, there were also several crystal-clear fruits, with dew drops on them, making Hailong look like he was drooling with desire.

  The top of the Moyun Cave Mansion was completely open, with sunlight shining directly down from the top of the cave and sprinkling on the flowers and grass. Looking up, one couldn't help but feel a sense of being in a narrow well looking at the sky. The interior of the mansion had an area of over 1,000 square meters, with a small stone house in front, its stone gate closed, and its style extremely ordinary, as if it were naturally formed. Although the environment was very quiet and secluded, it was completely different from what Hailong had imagined. He had thought that someone like his master would definitely live in a grand palace or pavilion, but who would have thought that everything was so simple?

  Ling Tongzi saw the doubt in Hailong's heart and said in a low voice, "We cultivators have always been indifferent to external objects. Everything originates from nature and comes from nature. This Maoyun Cave Mansion was completely formed naturally, even the small house where your master lived was originally just a large rock. The spiritual energy here is very strong, making it extremely suitable for cultivation." Along the winding path through the grass, the five of them had already arrived in front of the stone house.

  A faint creaking sound, the stone gate opened. A tall figure walked out. Hai Long rubbed his eyes and looked carefully, he knew that the person in front of him must be his master's ancestor. Dao Ming Zhen Ren was over seven feet tall, with a slightly stout build, looking like he was in his thirties, with eyes smaller than Hai Long's, which were almost invisible under the folds of fat. To Hai Long, Dao Ming Zhen Ren looked no different from an ordinary person except for his prominent belly.

  Ling Tongzi pulled a dragon from the sea, and together with Ling Zhizi, Ling Yanzi, and Ling Yuzi, they all bowed down and respectfully said: "Disciples pay respects to Master."

  Dàomíng zhēnrén jiǔ le jiǔ méi, dà xiù yī huī, yī gǔ chún hé de néngliàng jiāng wǔ rén tuō le qǐlai, “xíngle, nǎ'er nàme duō lǐ shuò.” tā shàng xià dǎ liàng le hǎi lóng liǎng yǎn, dào:“nǐ jiùshì língtōng tāmen huì lái de wǔ dài dìzǐ ma? língtōng a! tā zhēn de fúhé tiáojiàn ma?”

  Ling Tongzi hastily stepped forward and said, "Yes, Master. The most important condition for entering our sect is the heart test, this child..." At that moment, he detailedly told the story of Hailong and Zhanghao.

  After listening to Ling Tongzi's account, Dao Ming Zhenren nodded slightly and pinched his own chubby chin, saying: "Since you've already passed the test, from today on, you'll be a fifth-generation disciple of Lianyun Sect."

  Hailong hastily knelt down on the ground and said, "Thank you, Master, for taking me in." But in his heart, he cursed, "You fat old man, what a bull, not close at all, putting on a pretentious air."

  Dao Ming's expression suddenly became somewhat strange, a pair of small eyes shot out two sharp lights, and he said faintly: "Little boy, are you scolding me in your heart?"

  Hai Long was shocked, and suddenly remembered the words of Ling Tongzi. He was so scared that his back was sweating profusely, and he hastily said: "No, no. How dare I scold you?" As he spoke, he tried to shake off the distracting thoughts in his mind. The four disciples of Ling Tongzi were even more frightened, their bodies trembling slightly. Since the day they entered the sect, they had been afraid of this stern master.

  Dao Ming Zhen Ren said calmly: "We cultivators of the Tao most abhor speaking insincerely and having a narrow heart, you must remember this. Since you are a fifth-generation disciple, your name should be in the Tang character generation. It is said that only when one's spirit is transformed can they ascend to immortality. I will bestow upon you a Daoist name with the character 'Yu'. From now on, follow your several masters and cultivate diligently, striving to enter the realm of a fourth-generation disciple as soon as possible. Do you understand?"