Chapter 37: The Predicament of the Three Gods' Path

  In a remote mountainous area, on top of a mountain, the Taoist temple that was usually bustling with incense and activity was closed today, refusing to accept offerings from devotees. A tall, majestic Taoist priest stood guard at the entrance, causing the villagers below to speculate wildly, but no one dared to approach and ask questions. The Taoist priests inside were like gods, not only able to drive out evil spirits and catch ghosts, but also cure illnesses and tell fortunes. For people from all around with difficult and mysterious ailments, the first choice was not the hospital, but this famous Taoist temple, so they didn't dare offend the priests inside.

  However, the scene inside the Taoist temple was quite different. The main hall of the temple was packed with people, all wearing Taoist robes, but their hairstyles revealed their different identities. After all, no one had ever seen a Taoist priest dye his hair, but this was not the time to discuss that issue. They were all staring at the two people sitting in the highest position, whose mood could decide their life and death.

  The man at the very top, sporting the most distinctive Daoist hairstyle, held a fly whisk in his hand, exuding an ethereal aura that couldn't conceal his current fury. His eyes blazed with anger, enough to scare the people below him half to death.

  How long has it been since he was so angry? Zhang Yu Jun couldn't remember, all he knew was that in this life, he had never wanted to kill someone as much as he did now. He was the leader of the Three Gods Sect, also known as the Cult Master, and from a young age, he had been groomed by his predecessor as the successor. It was precisely because of this identity that Zhang Yu Jun had suffered greatly in his youth, and it had allowed him to see through the vanity of worldly things - all the wealth, power, and glory were just illusions. His only goal was to achieve immortality.

  Yes, at this time his cultivation goal is only for longevity, so he has almost let go of the Three Gods Dao, handing it over to his subordinates to do, while he himself chose to retreat in the mountains to cultivate. However, a few days ago, he was invited out of seclusion by his subordinates because the Three Gods Dao was about to be destroyed.

  This shocked Zhang Yu Jun, the Three Gods Sect wasn't some evil sect's big shot, but at least it had a hundred years of heritage, and in recent years its actions were extremely low-key, how could it possibly be annihilated? Could it be that someone under his command had killed another righteous sect's disciple again?

  However, after the people under him reported the cause and effect of the matter to him, Zhang Yuangun was so angry that he almost couldn't breathe. This is not just being destroyed, this is a disaster! The two paths of righteousness and evil, the black and white rivers and lakes, plus politics, even ten San Sheng Daos can't withstand it. A few years ago, they offended the righteous path and triggered an attack, but at that time, there were still allies to help the village. In the end, although the loss was severe, the foundation was still there, and after another decade or two, it could be restored. But now, the foundation of San Sheng Dao has been destroyed, and perhaps there is no possibility of recovery.

  "Ling Yue, you tell me, it's one thing that the Huo Jiao people are causing us trouble, but why have the Jianghu forces also come to our door? And what exactly did you do to make Lie Huo pursue us relentlessly?" Zhang Yuanjun shouted at Ling Yue, getting angrier by the minute.

  "Spare my life, spare my life! Ling Yue didn't do anything excessive. Initially, I received the order from Dao Jun and went to Jiangbei City to search for the legendary Wheel of Rebirth. However, the news leaked out, and people from both the righteous and evil paths flocked there, which caught the attention of the Safety Bureau. They dispatched Lie Huo to investigate. The Holy Maiden knew about it and told Ling Yue that she would stall Lie Huo in Mo Du, letting Ling Yue proceed with her plan. Unexpectedly, Lie Huo suddenly appeared in Jiangbei, disrupting Ling Yue's plan. Ling Yue had no choice but to devise a scheme to provoke Baihuo Jiao and Lie Kou Dao Ren into a fierce battle with Lie Huo, forcing the three geniuses of San Sheng Dao to retreat. As for what happened afterwards, Ling Yue didn't know. After returning to the main altar, it was all handled by the elders of the sect. However, according to Jianghu rumors, someone spread unfavorable news about our sect, which led to all the forces besieging us." Ling Yue knelt on the ground and begged loudly for mercy.

  Zhang Yuangjun clenched his fists, Ling Yue was aware of it, although he had some ambition, but not to the extent of betraying San Shendao, and everything she did was still within his permission. Because he was single-mindedly pursuing immortality, he was even more concerned about some legends. About half a year ago, several archaeology professors under Ling Yue's control reportedly discovered clues left behind by the Wheel of Rebirth sect during the Three Kingdoms period, which were related to immortality. Ling Yue reported back to ask what to do, and at that time, he didn't pay much attention, after all, there have been many legends about immortality over the years, but basically, they were just legends and couldn't be taken seriously. So he just let Ling Yue investigate freely, unexpectedly this time it was true.

  Ling Yue Shun Teng 'felt' the melon and unexpectedly found a jade symbol with the wheel of reincarnation, but that jade symbol was in the hands of an ordinary person. For an ordinary person, Ling Yue naturally didn't care, first interrogating him, without getting any results, accidentally killing him, which led to all these things happening.

  "What's the unfavorable news and who spread it?" Zhang Yu-Jun asked sternly. Since there were rumors, let's break them, and the crisis of the Three Gods Sect will naturally be resolved.

  "Yes, some people say that I have obtained the inheritance of the Wheel of Rebirth sect and found the legendary Wandering Immortal Cave. I've also discovered the secret to opening the Wheel of Rebirth disk. Now we have a hostage who has merged with the Wheel of Rebirth eye, so they're in such a hurry. As for the person spreading the news, it's very mysterious, we haven't been able to investigate," Ling Yue replied.

  She was also very frustrated about this, the Wheel of Rebirth had no records in history, and the only clue was that she slowly extracted from unofficial histories. If the Wheel of Rebirth's 'Dong' was so easy to find, where would they need her? In the past few months, she spent a huge amount of manpower and resources, dug up several extremely dangerous tombs but still couldn't find it, yet now the news on Jianghu confirmed their existence. If there wasn't any explanation from them, they wouldn't give up, and this explanation, no matter what, would bring her bad luck.

  "I don't know who you are, but you're all useless, and you're about to be beaten to the point of being 'boarded up'. You can't even tell who the enemy is!" Upon hearing that they couldn't even identify the enemy, Zhang Yuanjun's anger surged, and with a slap on the table, the solid wood table instantly turned into powder.

  "Dao Jun, don't be impatient. Since the enemy is being so secretive, they must be anxious too. As long as we remain calm, they will naturally reveal themselves. Let's hear what Ling Yue has learned about the secrets of the Wheel Return Sect," said the masked woman who had been sitting silently beside them.

  "Hmph, Ling Yue, aren't you going to tell me what you know?" Zhang Yuanjun glanced at the 'woman' beside him, the retired Holy Maiden. If it weren't for the fact that the Three Gods Sect's power had greatly decreased a few years ago, with many of its high-ranking members dead or injured, he would have already stripped this 'woman' of her rights. How could he possibly let her sit on an equal footing with him? Moreover, he also knew that this 'woman' was determined to achieve immortality - wasn't she a potential opponent?

  "It's Daojun, after my arduous identification, I have determined the location of the reincarnation sect's ruins and found that there are still descendants of the reincarnation sect in the world. They have also been searching for the reincarnation eye. There is a lot of specific information, so let Lingyue explain slowly. This has to start from three months ago, when..."

  Ling Yue slowly spoke out her own process of being inspired by a 'jade' artifact, and then tracing it all the way back, talking for a full three hours. But after listening to her, no one in attendance showed any signs of impatience, instead they wished she would say more, because they all knew that the legend of the Wheel of Reincarnation was basically confirmed.

  "Now listen to my orders, the Baihuo teachings are a righteous way, but they have deceived people too much. We must fight to the death and not retreat. The rumormongers are too hateful, I command the Intelligence Division to do their best to find out the organization behind them and annihilate them in one fell swoop. Lingyue, you immediately gather your experts and scholars, concentrate all your manpower and resources, and let them find out the existence of the Lunhui Sect and Wangxian 'Dong' at the fastest speed. As for the hostage in your hands, take good care of him, once there is news about the Lunhui Sect, immediately lure out the Lunhui eye."

  But as for the '阴' plot, how could Zhang Yu Jun, who was single-mindedly cultivating his skills, be a match for his subordinates? Almost as soon as he opened his mouth, many of those below him had already shown their 'colors', they all knew what consequences would bring to themselves once this order was executed, so in an instant, the crowd began to have their own thoughts.

  ………

  Immortal Valley, by the water pool, the morning sun has not yet risen, but I am already sitting here, without cultivating or meditating, holding the Heavenly Spirit Sword in my hand, waiting for someone. I want to reclaim my territory, yesterday I almost got killed, this grudge cannot go unavenged.

  After a long time, an old man wearing a white martial arts uniform walked to the edge of the pond with a sword in hand. "Hey, you've been waiting for a long time, right? It's really unbearable to see you being sunburned to death here. Do you still want revenge?" The old man said with a smile.

  Although he appears to be smiling, his heart is not that good. Yesterday, he spent the whole day in the data room again. He almost died from a single palm strike, but after eating a black pill, he became energetic and lively. What about the golden light emanating from his hand? And what about the dead fish in the water tank? One question after another kept popping up, but there was no answer to be found, which was enough to drive someone crazy.

  However, when he handed over the information to him at dusk, he was stunned again. He had thought it was just a young man with a small adventure, but he didn't expect such a background, and it could actually trigger a storm in Jianghu. This made him also somewhat apprehensive, as killing someone like this would be easy, but the consequences of killing him would not be easy to bear.

  "Hum, old man, I've come to settle the score today. Although my attitude wasn't good before, is it a crime punishable by death? You actually dealt such a ruthless blow to me. If I don't get some revenge today, how can I still be a man?" I shouted, drawing my sword and pointing it at the old man.

  But the old man had an expression of "I knew you'd say that", which almost made me angry to death. The old man saw the Tianling sword in my hand and his eyes lit up, praising it repeatedly: "Good sword, good sword, shining brightly, the sword's aura is overwhelming, I really didn't think I could see such a great treasure again, it's truly rare! Young one, what's the name of the sword you're holding?"

  "You," I cursed, "you old codger, not caring about your own life or death, yet still worrying about my sword. You're really going to drive me mad! 'Alright,' the old man said calmly, 'my name is Tianling, and I never kill those who don't give their names. State yours!"

  "Heavenly Spirit, how strange, I've never heard of this name before. Isn't it the precious sword from the famous sword manual? Well, that's even better. With this precious sword, we'll have more face when we go to find those old guys in the future." The old man muttered softly.

  But I heard these words clearly, and it was as if all the old blood in my body was about to be spat out. I couldn't say anything more, or I would have been choked to death by anger. I swallowed the prepared Longhu Dan from my upper jaw, then shouted at the old man: "Old man, remember that my name is Lin Hao! If you die today, your family will avenge you, let them find me!"

  After finishing speaking, I didn't want to listen to the old man's words anymore. My hand shook, and a sword "flower" was emitted, then I rushed towards the old man with a stab. My swordsmanship is basically non-existent, after all, I haven't received any training, can't do like Lan sister's one shake is several sword "flowers" skill, so from the beginning, I went for speed. The world's martial arts, only fast and unbreakable, as long as the speed reaches the extreme, that is the top-level martial arts.

  "But what made me extremely disappointed was that my full-strength sword didn't even hit the old man, and the old man hadn't even drawn his sword, just a light parry, and I was separated."

  "Taiji, humph!" I knew that I was being separated by the borrowed force technique because this old man was a Taiji master. The next moment, I no longer adhered to sword moves and postures, raised my sword and chopped randomly, each strike using all my strength at the fastest speed.

  As expected, this way of fighting brought great trouble to the old man. This was a completely lose-lose situation, even if he had confidence in hitting my vital spot with one sword strike. A sword is not a gun, and even if it's a vital spot, it won't be instantly fatal. Before I run out of breath, I will definitely slash him. To get injured for the sake of this small 'color' is really not worth it.

  "Ding, ding, ding..." The old man drew his sword and exchanged blows with me for over a dozen times, striking out countless sparks in the air. However, he didn't close in on me, instead keeping a distance because he knew that this way of fighting wouldn't last even for those deeply skilled masters, let alone someone like me who's just a small fry.

  In less than a minute, I failed to live up to the old man's expectations and was defeated. The Heaven's Spirit Sword was knocked out of my hand by the old man in one move.

  "Hey, young man, this won't do, how about it? You still want to use that palm-of-your-hand gold-light trick of yours, come on," the old man said with a sly smile, winking at me. Since it's such a mysterious thing, I'd better learn more about it. As for danger, he was very confident in his own abilities.

  Since you want to do it, this place is filled with cameras everywhere. I had already guessed that much, otherwise how could such a big place not have security patrols? But since the other side has shouted like this, how can I not satisfy him?

  A hand tore open the silk fabric knot, and in his heart, he urged the Dragon Tiger Dan to react. Calculating the time, it was about right. He looked up at the old man, but didn't take advantage of the opportunity to launch a sneak attack. How careless.

  After a dozen seconds or so, the familiar warmth spread through his body and finally flowed into the Wheel of Reincarnation in his eyes. The Wheel of Reincarnation soon started to heat up, then half-opened its eyes and emitted golden light.

  "The old man let me experience what is called reaction speed, my palm had not even targeted him yet, he had already left the original place, the speed was more than double the sneak attack on me yesterday."

  "Hmm, that's your ultimate move? It doesn't seem to have much power at all." The old man said sarcastically as he saw the golden light hit those 'flowers' without any reaction.

  "Kill, kill, kill!" I know that the golden light can't last much longer with just a small grain of Dragon and Tiger Pill, so for a moment, my palms moved frantically. I must take down this old man, this is my final trump card, otherwise it will be me who dies.

  "Haha, what's wrong? Are you out of energy? Do you want to rest for a bit before continuing?" Several dozen seconds later, the golden light on his right hand dispersed, and his eyes closed again.

  "You, old man, I must kill you today!" The old man's constant sarcasm and humiliation made my murderous intent spread, and before I knew it, even my eyes turned red. My anger had burned away my rationality, and surprisingly, it triggered the cultivation path of the True Record Scripture.

  And in my dantian, the wind and clouds are surging, and the only point of energy is thoroughly 'excited' out, flowing along the meridians and pouring back into the wheel eye.

  The "Heng" reincarnation eye opened again, and this time it wasn't half-opened. This time, it didn't emit a beam of golden light, but instead floated out a cluster of golden light, which quickly dispersed like ink dropping into water.

  The old man whispered that something was wrong and things had gotten out of hand. He rapidly retreated, but the golden light seemed to be controlled by someone as it quickly surrounded him.

  "Nothing's wrong?" The old man lowered his head and patted himself all over, without a single wound.

  "This, this, this" He raised his head and found that the world had changed. What was in front of him was no longer a paradise-like valley, but a bustling metropolis. How could this be possible? Was it an illusion? The old man thought of this at the first moment.

  "Hey, Old Three, what's wrong with you? Hurry up and let's go. Those damn Green Gang bastards ruined our operation. It's time for revenge!" Just then, someone patted him on the back, and when he turned around, the face he saw almost brought tears to his eyes.

  "Old big brother, old big brother, it's you, you're not dead, you're not dead, that's great!" The old man hugged the person in front of him and cried loudly, no matter whether this was an illusion or not, he didn't want to wake up.

  "Hah, old man, you've fallen for it this time!" I picked up my Tianling sword and slowly walked towards the old man with a dazed expression. The Wheel of Rebirth eye also has an illusionary effect, which I didn't know until now, but that's even better, another function that benefits me more.

  A loud "bang" accompanied by a gunshot rang out, and I felt a sharp pain all over my body, causing me to black out and lose consciousness.

  "Just stop!" came a loud shout just as I was about to strike the old man with my sword, it was like someone yelling right in your ear, so loud that it almost shattered my eardrums, causing me to drop my sword and crouch on the ground covering my ears.