Chapter Thirty-Two: The Eight Great Masters

  Foundation Building, Golden Elixir, and Nascent Soul are referred to as the growth period. Only cultivators who have completely passed through this growth period can be considered to have achieved a high level of cultivation. Some people stop at the Golden Elixir stage, while others may not even complete the Foundation Building stage until death. Apart from this, there is also a distinction among cultivators. Some cultivators are indifferent and carefree, refining elixirs for personal use, meditating to absorb spiritual energy, seeking immortality, and not getting involved in worldly affairs. This type of person does not cultivate Taoist techniques or martial arts. Some people are naturally inclined this way. Similarly, within the Tianyin Temple, there is a distinction between pure monks and martial monks. Pure monks contemplate scriptures, recite sutras to seek enlightenment, while martial monks enter the path through martial arts, pursuing not only breakthroughs in their mental state but also greater martial power.

  Strictly speaking, the earliest cultivation of truth only had literature. Everyone comprehended the heavenly principle, sought longevity and sought to attain the Tao. However, humans are the most dangerous things, and soon someone transformed the power of cultivating truth into attacking ability, starting to use force to plunder what they needed, such as elixirs and secret manuals. In order to protect their own safety, martial jobs emerged. Two thousand years ago, literary jobs were always dominant, until two thousand years later, when evil people appeared in large numbers, and martial jobs began to be valued. By now, the leaders of all major sects are people who cultivate both literature and martial arts.

  Most of the disciples also follow the path of both literary and martial arts, mainly because those who cultivate literature do not accept apprentices, only seeking to break through themselves. However, not everyone can study high-level Taoist methods, so many people will also turn to quiet cultivation after failing to break through in seclusion. The Yunqing Sect has a total of 685 disciples, excluding the sect leader and the Hidden Immortal Sect, there are more than 400 people who cultivate quietly, which means that when the sect encounters a crisis, only 200 people can take on important tasks. Among these 200 people, only one-tenth can complete their primordial infant, and the true masters of the Yunqing Sect are only the sect leader, the gatekeeper, the Hidden Immortal Sect, and twenty disciples.

  These twenty disciples are the backbone of Yun Qing Men, and they will be the first choice to take over as the sect master and gatekeeper in the future. Gu Yan is one of these twenty people, while Lin Fan and Bai Mu have not even made it onto the list of twenty, let alone Ye Wu Shuang who has already taken up the position of Right Protector of Yun Qing Men's Purple Bamboo Forest due to his possession of a divine scroll.

  The Demon Sect is very powerful, and all the cultivators have moved to the lower nine palaces. The upper nine palaces are all warriors who can fight, and one demon can subdue evil spirits. This statement is not an empty rumor, but because of the Demon Sect's strong martial power, the evil demons in the vast wilderness dare not enter the twelve continents openly. The Orthodox Cultivation Great Faction also realizes its inadequacy in this regard, and since cultivation requires success through heavenly tribulations, cultivators are completely powerless to resist. Therefore, they focus on cultivating disciples with high roots, qualifications, and enlightenment.

  "What about the evil sect?"

  "Evil sects... you should first ask, why do many righteous demonic disciples betray and join the evil. Because the evil sect's cultivation method is quick to succeed. Yun Qing Mountain also has disciples who betrayed and joined the evil sect, he was originally only in the foundation-building period, but stopped making progress, he was not willing to give up, so he used the evil sect's cultivation method, harming heaven and reason, forcibly increasing his cultivation... For example, you driving a bamboo sword, according to the righteous way of cultivation, it would take at least a month, but the evil sect can teach you in half an incense stick. However, the evil sect also has weaknesses, even if they forcefully cultivate the yuan fetus, it is difficult to achieve perfection. Killing one person can complete the foundation-building, but killing a hundred people is needed to reach the golden elixir, killing a thousand people is needed to perfect the golden elixir, killing ten thousand people is needed to reach the yuan fetus, and killing a hundred thousand people is needed to perfect the yuan fetus. And such harm to heaven and reason will bring about heavenly punishment without warning. Once an evil sect person uses the evil method to build their foundation or golden elixir, there is no other way to advance."

  (Just like when you're sick and on an IV drip, the IV drip works quickly, but once you get used to it, if you don't have an IV drip when you're sick again, it's hard to recover.)

  ……

  Ximen saw much and knew widely, and he liked to show off his knowledge. Lin Fan was humble and sought guidance from him like a teacher, opening up a new world for him. Although this world had records in literature, it looked completely different from another angle. Lin Fan also understood why the righteous and evil could not coexist, and why the Taoist Devil Alliance did not actively attack the Cangyun Wasteland.

  Of course, the demonic teachings that Ximen Shuai had instilled were eliminated by Lin Fan. Although Ximen Shuai still had a high and mighty attitude, Lin Fan was a carefree person, and the two of them got along well as they chatted, leaving Dongzhou and Xiao Dongzhou to enter the territory of Zhongzhou.

  Zhongzhou has the largest territory among the twelve states, with countless famous mountains and spiritual rivers. There are more than 40 places where hundreds of people practice the Zhenqi Gate, and the first major sect in Zhongzhou is the Purple Bamboo Temple, with over a thousand disciples, producing numerous outstanding talents, making it the leader of the Orthodox Zhenqi Sect.

  "Are you sure it's Jun Jie?"

  This was Lin Fan's question. As soon as he entered the territory of Zhongzhou, he saw a lake. The people of Zhongzhou were open-minded, and there were more than ten young girls playing in the water by the lake, while a Taoist priest wearing a purple robe was hiding in the reeds with his butt exposed, peeking at them. This attire was exactly that of the disciples of the Purple Bamboo Temple.

  Ximen Chao faced Lin Fan's questioning and helplessly said, "Are you blaming his character or blaming his Taoist practice?" Peeping at women playing in the water is a matter of character. Being punished with hard labor on Cloud Clear Mountain is also a matter of character. Blaming his Taoist practice... Big Brother, use your magic to change that tree!

  Ximen Shuai was about to teach a lesson to this disciple of the Purple Bamboo Temple, when suddenly all the people playing in the water disappeared. Lin Fan was surprised: "Obstruction Technique?" Although the Obstruction Technique is a shallow magic trick, it can create such a big commotion, making even those flying in mid-air feel it, and the cultivator who cast the spell is not superficial.

  That disciple of Zixiao Temple was also stunned, stood up and looked around for the beauty, a purple-robed figure gently landed in front of him. The Zixiao disciple asked: "Who are you?"

  A palm print flew out, and Zixiao's disciple was thrown out one zhang away, with a mouthful of blood. Zixiao's disciple was furious: "Don't you know who the Taoist master is? I am the guardian of Zixiao Temple, known as the Eastern Zhou Sword King: Jiang Bufan."

  The Taoist robe person instantly arrived in front of the Purple Swallow disciple, and another slap. The Purple Swallow disciple immediately knelt down and kowtowed: "Master Dao spare my life."

  A man in a purple robe took out a toothpick and lazily said, "Jiang Bufan, you impersonated me as a disciple of Zixiao, did things I wanted to do but couldn't, give me an explanation for mercy."

  "Zhang Tongyuan!" Ximen Shuai exclaimed: "The number one master of the Purple Bamboo Pavilion, ranked third among the top eight masters. I didn't expect to meet him as soon as I entered Zhongzhou."

  Lin Fan looked at the portrait in Ximen Commander's hand, and in the portrait, Zhang Tongyuan was leaning against a stone by the lake, with a sword in his arms and a grass root in his mouth. On the side, it was written: Zhang Tongyuan, the first young master of Zixiao Hall, Jindan Yu Jian, with excellent roots and bones.

  A small knife fell on the muddy ground in front of Zi Xiao's brother, and Zhang Tongyuan said: "I'll give you two options, one is that I castrate you, and the other is that you castrate yourself."

  Jiang Bufan picked up the small knife, his eyes rolled around, and suddenly he grasped the knife with both hands and charged at Zhang Tongyuan. Zhang Tongyuan slapped Jiang Bufan to the ground again, then stepped on him, picked up the small knife, and pulled down Jiang Bufan's pants...

  "Huh!" Ximen Shuai and Lin Fan turned their heads in unison, Lin Fan asked: "The Eight Great Masters?"

  "What can you expect from an eccentric?"

  "Scram!" Having finished castrating, Zhang Tongyuan kicked Jiang Bufan, then snapped his fingers and a stream of clear water appeared before him. Zhang Tongyuan washed his hands and said leisurely, "You two have been watching for so long, are you going to reward me with a few copper coins?"