Chapter 191 Ritual of Fasting and Dipping

The majestic aura of the Ancestral Master poured down from Jiang Chen without any concealment. As members of the Maoshan Sect, no one could fail to sense the trembling of their own Talismans when faced with this aura.

It was a feeling only experienced when facing the very source of one's own lineage.

For a moment, their thoughts were completely overwhelmed by this vast aura of the Ancestral Master.

Jiang Chen's eyes flashed with a crimson-gold light. With majestic dignity, he turned his palm upward and raised his hand.

Boom! Crimson thunder from the highest vault of the Nine Heavens descended. The celestial might was unfathomable. Behind that thunder, it seemed as if Emperor Zhenwu stood with his back to the common people.

"My Daoist title is Great True Lord Xuanyi. I once studied the methods of the Maoshan Sect, learned the 'Yellow Court Dao Scripture,' held the Maoshan Dharma Sword, and wielded the Shangqing Thunder."

Facing this rolling aura of the Ancestral Master, everyone present no longer had any doubts and bowed their heads in kneeling obeisance.

Such an aura of an Ancestral Master, even if one were not a member of the Maoshan Sect, was clearly that of a foundational figure of the Daoist gate.

But this was not the end. Jiang Chen continued:

"I also received the 'Zhenwu Supreme Dharma Lord Scripture Talisman' directly from Emperor Zhenwu, opening a new source for the Maoshan lineage."

As he finished speaking, Jiang Chen pointed a finger, and a dense array of Yunji Talisman arranged themselves before him. A crimson radiance, inscribed with countless cloud-seal ritual Talismans, erupted from his inner vision and shot straight into the clouds!

The group of Daoists was terrified to the point of despair. Not to mention Emperor Zhenwu, they had never even summoned the Ancestral Master of the Maoshan Sect.

Yet, this terrifying Talisman, which reflected the paths and lineages of everyone present, possessed such glorious and magnificent Divine Might that it shook their very souls, proving beyond doubt that everything Jiang Chen said was true!

Thus, they were even more convinced and bowed their heads once more.

The group of Daoists knelt in unison and shouted: "We pay our respects to the Ancestral Master!"

Jiang Chen calmly accepted this salute. He withdrew the glorious and magnificent Dharma Lord Scripture Talisman that had illuminated the heavens, and reined in the aura of the Ancestral Master that had been pressing down on everyone's hearts, making it difficult for the Daoists to breathe.

He looked toward Wu Guangrong, Ye Shouzhen, and a few of the troublemaking old Daoists among the group.

"Now, do you still have any doubts about my identity? Speak them one by one, and I shall resolve them for you all."

Wu Guangrong said tremblingly: "This Disciple dares not. Previously, it was truly this Disciple's mortal eyes that failed to recognize the true form of the Ancestral Master. Please, Ancestral Master, punish me!"

Ye Shouzhen and the others also spoke of their guilt.

Jiang Chen shook his head and said: "You have not committed any heinous acts, and I had not revealed my identity before. What crime is there?"

"Thank you, Ancestral Master!"

Jiang Chen raised his hand and gave a slight wave. All the Daoists, including Ye Yunyang, felt a terrifying, irresistible force lift their bodies. In that moment, they respected the Ancestral Master even more.

Seeing that all the Senior Brothers and Junior Martial Uncles were now convinced, Ye Yunyang breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Jiang Chen with reverence.

"Ancestral Master, you have not appeared in the human world for a thousand years. Could it be... that you were living in seclusion somewhere, just like the Mountain Lord of Baijun Mountain?"

He did not dare to say it was to avoid the Age of Dharma Decline, as that would seem a bit disrespectful to the Ancestral Master.

Jiang Chen nodded and then shook his head: "That is a long story. What is this Mountain Lord you just mentioned?"

Ye Yunyang was stunned. How could the Ancestral Master not know about the Mountain Lord of Nameless Mountain?

"About two hundred kilometers to the southeast, there is a mountain called Baijun Mountain. On it lives a great demon, the Mountain Lord, who has survived for a thousand years. This demon claims to have lived since the Tang Dynasty. During the previous Age of Dharma Decline, it had been sleeping on Baijun Mountain, only awakening recently."

Jiang Chen remained silent. Ye Yunyang and the others assumed the Ancestral Master was recalling something; after all, the Ancestral Master was a Disciple of the great Immortal Master Sima Chengzhen, so he was also a person from the Tang Dynasty.

Jiang Chen had indeed thought of something. Back then, not far from Maoshan—about two hundred kilometers away—there was a mountain with no name.

There was a white tiger on that mountain, and he had saved this white tiger from the hands of a Zheng. At that time, the white tiger followed him and Senior Brother Xue all the way down the mountain.

This white tiger possessed great spiritual intelligence. Back then, while he was just performing his daily breathing exercises and cultivation, the tiger was able to comprehend some breathing techniques from his practice.

If it really did manage to cultivate its potential, could it be that the Mountain Lord on Baijun Mountain now is actually the one he saved back then?

The people of Maoshan did not know that this Mountain Lord had once told the people from the 749 Bureau that he had come down the mountain to find his master.

When Ye Qingmei came to Maoshan to search for relevant texts, she had only asked Ye Shouzhen if Maoshan had any news about this Mountain Lord. Ye Shouzhen had not paid much attention to the matter at the time and had subsequently forgotten about it, which caused him to feel now as if there was something important vaguely forgotten in his mind, yet he could not recall it no matter how hard he tried.

Since Ye Qingmei did not get the information at the time, she had to go to the library to search for it herself. Later, when she found the relevant materials, she did not inform Ye Shouzhen and hurried down the mountain.

As a result, even now, the people of Maoshan did not even know the name of that Mountain Lord.

Otherwise, if they had associated the fact that Jiang Chen was the Maoshan Ancestral Master—also a figure from the Kaiyuan era—they would surely have been able to link this Mountain Lord to Jiang Chen.

Jiang Chen was also a bit uncertain at the moment, but he felt vaguely in his heart that even if this Mountain Lord was not that white tiger from back then, it was likely related to that tiger in some way.

After all, how could there be such a coincidence in the world?

Moreover, it seemed that this Mountain Lord had not come into conflict with humans; otherwise, there would not have been a complete absence of leaked information up to this point.

"I have some faint guesses about the identity of this great demon, but I cannot be certain. When I have some leisure time in the future, I will naturally go and confirm it."

At this moment, Jiang Chen brought up the previous matter again.

"The celestial master seal belongs to the Maoshan Sect. Although this object is not very important, we may discard it, but others cannot steal it."

Jiang Chen's light words were filled with an invisible dominance that made everyone present tremble in their hearts. Afterward, a surge of immense excitement and thrill rushed to their heads.

The Dao follows nature, and dominance is also a Dao!

"Since I have returned today, I shall hold the Zhai-Zhan Ritual to offer sacrifices and report to the Three Pure Ones Ancestral Masters, to demonstrate our orthodoxy."

"Ye Yunyang, you shall be responsible for this matter."

Ye Yunyang's mind shook with immense excitement. Holding the Zhai-Zhan Ritual was not only to offer sacrifices to the Three Pure Ones Ancestral Masters, but also to make a proclamation to the entire Daoist world!

Nowadays, apart from Mount Longhu, very few Daoist sects dared to hold such a grand-scale Zhai-Zhan Ritual, for fear of incurring the dissatisfaction of Mount Longhu.

But now, Ye Yunyang wished nothing more than for Mount Longhu to be dissatisfied and come to pick a fight immediately. When that time came, the Ancestral Master would naturally take action!

Ye Yunyang had been waiting for this day for a long time!

"Just make the announcement; there is no need to reveal my background or name."

Ye Yunyang was slightly stunned, then became thoughtful. He felt even more that the Ancestral Master was truly the Ancestral Master; his way of doing things was simply more reliable than his own.

"Yes, Ancestral Master!"