Chapter 48 Tearing Off This Skin

Zhang Chulan stood rooted to the spot, taking over a minute to finally swallow that "Junior Martial Uncle."

He rubbed his aching shoulder, his facial expression shifting like a painter's palette.

"So, did you travel all this way just to establish a family connection?"

"We aren't that idle." Zhang Guanchen sat down.

"I came down the mountain to see how much longer you could keep up this act."

Zhang Chulan gave a dry laugh.

"I can't keep it up anymore; you've practically stripped me down to my underwear."

Feng Baobao added from the side.

"It was your clothes, I cut them."

Zhang Chulan closed his eyes.

"Big Sister, could you please not remind me of that?"

Xu San poured a cup of tea for Zhang Guanchen, taking the opportunity to steer the conversation back to business.

"Chulan, your grandfather's affair involves a major case in the Human Realm. The Quánxìng is targeting you because of something your grandfather left behind."

Zhang Chulan opened his eyes, and his gaze changed.

"What thing?"

"The Origin of Qi." Zhang Guanchen answered for Xu San.

As soon as these four words were spoken, the expressions of Xu San and Xu Si tightened.

Zhang Chulan was even more confused.

"What is the Origin of Qi?"

"A Cultivation Technique that the entire Human Realm would fight tooth and nail for." Zhang Guanchen tapped his fingers on the table.

"But I don't know how to do anything!" Zhang Chulan said anxiously. "I only learned a bit of the Golden Light Mantra and thunder techniques; my grandfather just taught me those for self-preservation."

"That's exactly the problem." Zhang Guanchen looked at him. "Your grandfather knew it, so everyone assumes you do too. If you don't tear off this mask, the Quánxìng will never stop targeting you."

Zhang Chulan slumped into his chair.

"Then what should I do?"

"Join The Company, take a paid job, and hide yourself under The Company's banner first." Xu Si interjected, blowing a smoke ring.

"How much is the pay?" Zhang Chulan asked instinctively.

Xu Si laughed.

"Room and board included, full benefits, plus we can broaden your horizons."

Zhang Chulan glanced at Feng Baobao, then at Zhang Guanchen.

"What about you, Junior Martial Uncle?"

"I'm returning to Mount Longhu." Zhang Guanchen stood up.

"Leaving already?" Zhang Chulan stood up hurriedly. "Are you just going to abandon me?"

"You're safe now. With The Company protecting you, the Quánxìng won't dare to make a move for the time being." Zhang Guanchen patted his shoulder.

"Besides, the matter concerning your grandfather isn't over on the mountain."

Zhang Chulan's heart skipped a beat.

"What else is there on the mountain?"

"When the time comes, go up the mountain and ask for yourself." Zhang Guanchen didn't elaborate.

Just then, there was a sudden movement inside the Daozang Stele Forest.

Zhang Guanchen paused in his steps.

He turned his head, his gaze falling on Feng Baobao, who was dazed in the corner.

Since a moment ago, Feng Baobao had been staring at him, her eyes devoid of any calculation, just purely watching.

The Qi inside her body was completely different from that of an ordinary person.

There were no traces of Acquired Qi cultivation.

It was as pure as an uncarved piece of jade, or rather, like an infant.

Deep within the Daozang Stele Forest, that moss-covered, blank remnant stele lit up again.

White patterns of light flowed slowly across the surface of the stele; there were no complex designs, just a feeling of returning to the Origin.

The Old Farmer's Technique.

Or rather, the foundation of the Divine Spirit.

Zhang Guanchen's heart raced.

This Stele Forest could even record the Innate state on Feng Baobao; it was simply an unreasonable gold-devouring beast.

"Why are you looking at me?" Feng Baobao asked.

"You're pleasing to the eye." Zhang Guanchen withdrew his gaze.

"Oh, I find you pleasing to the eye too." Feng Baobao nodded. "You hit people very neatly."

Zhang Chulan, watching from the side, felt his eyelid twitch.

Were these two complimenting each other or discussing fighting techniques?

Xu San walked Zhang Guanchen to the door of the courier station.

"Daoist Zhang, The Company owes you a personal favor for this matter with Chulan."

"Put it on the tab. Just don't turn me away when I come looking for you in the future." Zhang Guanchen slung his backpack over his shoulder.

Xu San pushed up his glasses and said earnestly.

"Naturally."

Zhang Guanchen walked out of the courier station. The early autumn sun had just risen, shining warmly on him.

He took out his phone, and a message popped up on the screen.

It was from Zhang Lingyu.

"Senior Brother, Master wants you to return immediately."

The words didn't look like much, but even through the screen, Zhang Guanchen could feel the seriousness behind them.

Celestial Master Zhang Zhiwei rarely urged anyone.

Unless something had truly gone wrong on the mountain.

He replied with a "Good," put away his phone, and walked toward the high-speed rail station.

On the train, he closed his eyes to rest, his mind entirely on the Daozang Stele Forest.

This trip down the mountain had yielded too much.

The Corpse Bone's Blood Talisman, the suppression of the Minghun Technique, and the traces of Innate Qi on Feng Baobao.

These had all transformed into incomplete traces within the Stele Forest.

Especially that pure Qi of Feng Baobao, which faintly echoed with the Reverse Life Triple.

One forcibly pushes the body toward the Innate state.

The other is already in the Innate state.

Zhang Guanchen built a bridge between these two steles with his mind, vaguely grasping a form of body control deeper than the Golden Light Mantra.

It was no longer about relying on Qi to strengthen the body.

But rather allowing the body to return directly to a natural cycle that doesn't consume Qi.

Once this line of thought was straightened out, he could save more than half of his consumption in future endurance battles.

After getting off the high-speed train, changing to a bus, and climbing the mountain path, it was nearly dark by the time he returned to the front of Mount Longhu.

The Disciple at the mountain entrance saw him and immediately saluted.

"Tenth Junior Uncle, you've finally returned. Grandmaster is waiting for you in the rear hall."

Zhang Guanchen nodded. Without even putting down his luggage, he headed straight to the rear hall.

The rear hall was lit.

Celestial Master Zhang Zhiwei sat cross-legged on a prayer mat, holding a letter in his hand.

Ninth Senior Brother and Zhang Lingyu were both there.

Zhang Guanchen walked in and bowed respectfully.

"Master, this Disciple has returned."

Celestial Master Zhang Zhiwei looked up at him.

"Didn't cause any trouble?"

"Not a bit. The people from Quánxìng walk the other way when they see me." Zhang Guanchen lied through his teeth.

Ninth Senior Brother snorted from the side.

"That's not what I heard from the news sent by The Company. You nearly snapped Xu Si's wrist."

"That was a friendly spar to foster our relationship." Zhang Guanchen said without batting an eye.

Celestial Master Zhang Zhiwei ignored their bickering and tossed the letter in his hand onto the table.

"Has the matter regarding Zhang Chulan been handled?"

"It's handled. He's already with The Company, and the Quánxìng can't touch him for now." Zhang Guanchen put away his lazy demeanor.

Celestial Master Zhang Zhiwei nodded.

"Since he has established a foothold down the mountain, it's time for us to make a move on the mountain."

Zhang Guanchen was stunned.

"Make a move on what?"

"The Grand Rite of Luo Tian."

These four words dropped like a bombshell; besides Celestial Master Zhang Zhiwei, the expressions of the other three in the room completely changed.

Ninth Senior Brother opened his eyes wide.

"Master, are you really planning to hold this? This is the greatest ceremony of the Daoist sect; it was last held decades ago."

Celestial Master Zhang Zhiwei's expression remained unchanged.

"If we don't hold this, how can we get those people harboring evil intentions to come up the mountain legitimately?"

Zhang Lingyu clenched his fists, his heart beating rapidly.

The Grand Rite of Luo Tian.

It was the greatest stage for the younger generation of the Human Realm.

Zhang Guanchen looked at the letter, his mind racing.

The plot had finally reached this arc.

Once the Grand Rite of Luo Tian began, all factions of the Human Realm would gather at Mount Longhu. Wang Ye, Zhuge Qing, and those people from the Lu family—none of them would be able to escape this.

Even the Quánxìng would seize the opportunity to sneak up.

"Master, for this Grand Rite, what is the prize for the winner?" Zhang Guanchen asked the crucial question.

Celestial Master Zhang Zhiwei looked at him.

"The successor to the Celestial Master, and the Supreme Talismans."

Ninth Senior Brother gasped.

"The Supreme Talismans? Old Master Lu Jin is actually bringing this out?"

Zhang Guanchen was not surprised.

Lu Jin was doing this to help the Old Celestial Master build up the event, deliberately throwing out one of the Eight Miraculous Skills as bait.

Only if the bait is fragrant enough will the big fish lurking in the deep bite the hook.

Celestial Master Zhang Zhiwei tapped his fingers on the table.

"Guanchen, Lingyu, you both will participate in this Grand Rite."

Zhang Lingyu stood up straight immediately.

"Yes, Master!"

Zhang Guanchen stroked his chin.

"Master, I have no problem participating, but who am I supposed to fight? This bunch isn't even enough for a warm-up."

Ninth Senior Brother was so angry he wanted to kick him.

"Would it kill you to brag a little less?"

"I'm not bragging." Zhang Guanchen sighed. "You're asking me to bully a bunch of twenty-year-olds; it's an unglamorous victory."

Celestial Master Zhang Zhiwei glanced at him.

"When you participate, you are only allowed to use the Golden Light Mantra and are forbidden from causing serious injury to anyone's meridians."

"Why?"

"Because you are an elder." Celestial Master Zhang Zhiwei shut down any further argument with that one sentence.

Zhang Guanchen's mouth twitched.

This old man was definitely doing it on purpose; he wanted him to hold down the fort but wouldn't let him fight freely, deliberately messing with him.

"Fine, Golden Light it is." Zhang Guanchen accepted his fate.

Just then, his phone vibrated again.

He took it out and saw it was Lu Linglong.

"My great-grandfather said they are holding the Grand Rite of Luo Tian, I'm going up the mountain!"

It was followed by a ferocious dragon roaring sticker.

"Did you prepare candy for me?"

Zhang Guanchen looked at the screen and took a deep breath.

The big trouble hadn't arrived yet, but the little ancestor was already on her way.

This Grand Rite of Luo Tian was giving him a headache before it had even started.